


Destiny

by Awakening5



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Force-Sensitive Finn, Heist, Jedi Rey, Like medium-paced burn probably, Resistance Mission, Six Months Later..., kind of slow burn?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-14 00:19:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9148459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awakening5/pseuds/Awakening5
Summary: Six months after the destruction of Starkiller Base, Finn has been tasked with stealing weapons for the Resistance. At the last minute, the recently returned Rey is assigned to accompany him. After so long apart, the two don't quite know how to behave around each other.





	1. Marloth

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been in the works for some time. I was watching The Force Awakens again, as I do, and couldn't help but find Rey's actions at the end a bit...upsetting. Finn just about killed himself going back for her, and she just leaves him!
> 
> So this story was a fun way for me to explore her reasoning for leaving and the repercussions on her friendship (and more) with Finn. It's also given me an opportunity to play in this awesome Star Wars universe! I hope you all enjoy as much as I enjoy writing it.

Chapter I: Marloth

 

The world was crisp, even if the red rocks of Marloth intimated a hot desert. Finn walked confidently down the ramp of his new ship the _Kismet_ and took a deep breath, letting the fresh—if slightly cold—air fill his lungs.

The planet never truly warmed up, one of the many consequences of the short, three hour-long days. On the other hand, this part of the planet never got too cold, either, with the nights extending no longer than the daytime.

Finn heard footsteps behind him and felt a frown come to his face.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Finn took another deep breath, much less about feeling the fresh air in his lungs this time, and much more about steadying himself for his company.

He turned to look at her, and couldn't help the traitorous thoughts that entered his mind. _Not as beautiful as you_.

He shook his head and looked away, angry at himself for allowing such feelings when he was still so hurt. A part of him wanted to just get over himself and pretend like it was six months ago, and they were rushing around saving the galaxy.

"I've never been to a red planet," Finn said instead, not looking back as he responded. "It's a nice change of scenery."

Rey walked up beside him, and Finn caught her looking at him out of the corner of his eye. She seemed sad, almost, as she tried to read his face. But he kept it stoic, even as she said, "It reminds me a little too much of Jakku."

"Nah," Finn said, hoping to bring her some comfort, even if he didn't want to shower her with attention. "Jakku was trash. Marloth has much more to offer."

He caught Rey smirking in response. "You mean like two growing crime syndicates?"

Finn laughed shortly despite himself. "That's exactly what I mean."

Marloth was not the most desirable of planets. Over the centuries, it had been passed over time and again as exploration and expansion spread through the galaxy. Finn thought it a bit strange, given its prime location in the galaxy. It was in a popular system that was nearly central in the Inner Core. It was essentially a midpoint between Curoscant and the Hosnian system.

Well, what used to be the Hosnian system, Finn thought sadly.

But even with the Hosnian system being expunged, Marloth still seemed a prime location for trade and commerce. And it was—but only for business that didn't mind being done in the dark.

The three hour days had turned off entrepreneurs each time they had come to the planet, seeking new real estate to start their business. But the Hutts had discovered centuries ago that they didn't need sunlight to run a successful operation. For decades, Marloth had served as a primary traffic planet for the black market.

But the Hutt empire took a major hit in the wake of the Galactic Empire's destruction. New organized crime began to spread through the galaxy, such as the trailblazing Red Nikto known as Rinnrivin Di, or more recently Ura-Vun Di.

"We've got a meeting with Ura-Vun's guy in less than an hour," Finn said after a moment of admiring the scenery with Rey at his side. "I think we'll have to wait to unpack into our quarters afterwards."

Rey nodded. "Yes, we should probably explore the city and make sure we find the meeting place."

The "city" of Mos Venda wasn't like the cities of Curoscant, but it was certainly larger than the Nima Outpost that had been Rey's idea of civilization, so Finn didn't bother correcting her. They walked through the port of Mos Venda, situated in the open valley just outside of the city. The city itself was nestled in the narrow slot canyons between the mesas that made up most of the north east hemisphere of the planet.

The canyons made for an easy natural protection from Republic or Imperial observation. From the safety of space, little could be recorded or scanned on the surface. There were no simple means of tracking or discovering the activities of the mobs of Mos Venda without boots on the ground. That protection had served the Hutts well until the Imperial fleets were desperate enough in their final years to try to use the planet to bolster their supplies. It had contributed to the Empire's downfall, but in the process had weakened the Hutts on the planet to figurative—and in one case literal—emaciation.

"This is incredible," Rey marveled as they wandered through the great hallways of the city. On either side of them, canyon walls stretched for hundreds of feet vertically, and miles ahead of them, winding and interweaving with new canyons.

Somewhat distracted by how adorable her look of awe was, Finn had to agree. He had seen plenty of images and a few holovids of the city, but being present was something else entirely. The canyon was hardly wide enough for two lanes of traffic and a couple walkways. But the early settlers had found ways to create space, building into the canyon walls.

Lining the red rock walls were countless stops, from the basic necessities of food districts to the types of establishments that the criminal underworld might enjoy. The street was bustling in this portion of the city, nearest the main port where Finn and Rey had parked.

Finn took Rey's hand as the bustle of the street tried to separate them. He hated how much he enjoyed the feeling of her hand in his, and couldn't help the smile on his face when she didn't try to pull away. Instead, she squeezed his hand tightly and followed him to a nearby transport platform. Finn observed a clock on the platform, and reset his watch to the planet's time, having to release her hand to do so.

But Finn wouldn't dare show that he missed the feeling of her touch, and tried to convince himself he didn't miss it, too.

Rather, Finn decided to focus on the mission at hand. He had been prepping for this since he had woken up. During his rehab process, he was always at work. When he needed to rest from physical reconstruction, he was studying. He was passable in Huttese now; he had trained to be an amateur pilot; he was learning from fellow Resistance fighters everything he could about the galaxy; most importantly, he had begun to create a bit of a fake reputation in the criminal underworld.

And he had done it without Rey. Because clearly, she hadn't needed him. So why should he need her?

A transport came humming down the canyon right on schedule and allowed Finn to shake his head of such thoughts. He nodded forward to Rey, who seemed to be watching him closely in silence. Together, they stepped on the transport, and after Finn swiped his wallet on the payment panel to transfer a few credits for admission, they found a pair of seats near the back.

The city passed by them at a leisurely pace. This canyon was familiar to Finn due to his extensive study of the city, and he noticed a pair of landmark locations that had jumped out at him during the recon work.

He and Rey didn't avoid conversation, as they each talked about some of their observations, but talk was rather stilted. He hadn't been comfortable around her since her return the previous week. And he wasn't sure he _wanted_ to feel comfortable around her the way he had before Starkiller and Kylo Ren happened.

But this mission wasn't about Rey. And it wasn't about Finn either, even if he did feel like he deserved this opportunity much more than her. No, this was about supplying arms for the Resistance, preferably without breaking the bank.

And so he focused on the mission. After nearly a half hour on the transport—which took its time, picking up new passengers every half mile—Finn led Rey to a cheap cafe. Like all of the other establishments in Mos Venda, the small eatery was carved into the wall of the mesa that stretched high above them.

Finn held the door open and took in his surroundings quickly as Rey stepped in. As a Stormtrooper, he'd been trained to be observant wherever he went. Over the past six months, however, Finn had been trying to observe as a method of learning, instead of for battle.

There were over a dozen occupants in the cafe, sitting at various tables in a large, open dining area. Four humans were easy to highlight, and even easier to get a quick read on. Not everyone on the planet were part of the two warring gangs, but Finn suspected at least the pair of women in the corner were myrmidons of the Red Nikto leader Ura-Vun Di. They were a bit too quick to drop their gaze when Finn spied them.

Some of the other species were more difficult to get a read on. Finn was inexperienced, no matter how much he had practiced and studied with the Resistance. Any number of the Togruta, Duros, and Gamorreans present could be here to get an extra read on him and be ready for an attack should things take a bad turn.

Finn hoped his nerves didn't show as he stepped into the cafe and headed straight for his contact.

"Den Prodo?" a short, beautiful Twi'Lek woman said with a gracious smile and an extended hand.

Finn took her hand firmly and shook it twice—he'd been told it was a handshake that exuded confidence. "Myla Rune, I presume?" Finn asked, returning her smile.

The Twi'Lek was dressed...scantily, Finn decided. Her light blue skin seemed to make her physical features pop, and Finn was finding it more difficult to focus than he'd expected. He struggled to keep his eyes on hers, while trying to take in her body with his peripheral vision. Fortunately for him, Myla's eyes wandered over to Rey, and the thought of her catching him ogling someone was enough to shake him of his initial distraction.

"This is my associate Kaira," Finn introduced, grateful his voice didn't crack.

"I wasn't aware you worked with anyone," Myla said easily as she extended her hand for Rey, who shook it promptly.

Finn responded as Myla motioned for the pair to take a seat. "I've become busier as my name has grown. I hired Kaira a couple of months ago to manage my accounts and calendar."

Myla pulled up a tablet and swiped her finger along it. "Well, you're more than just handsome. You've certainly been working hard," she commented. She winked at him, and Finn fought the flush at her compliment. "Dozens of transactions for the Resistance, working with the smugglers of Dantooine. Word has it you worked with the First Order and Kanjiklub before their recent disappearance."

"I may be one of the last men to see Tasu Leech," Finn said honestly. He glanced over at Rey, who had a slight scowl on her face staring at Myla. "It's a shame he's vanished, because I got him a hell of a deal on his new freighter."

"You've mostly dealt with small deals and shipments," she observed. She quirked an eyebrow and suggestively asked, "If the package is larger?"

Finn smirked as he eased into the tone of the meeting. "I assure you Myla, I am well experienced and capable."

And so the conversation continued. Finn knew this wasn't _the_ meeting that would get his foot in the door of Ura-Vun Di's organization. But the more he settled into his role as Den Prodo, expert negotiator, the more easily the words and lies came spilling from his mouth. It was as if he was guided by more than his studies and practice. He almost had fun sitting there in his opening interview with Myla.

By the end of the meeting, he and Myla joked around with each other like old friends, and Finn found her blatant flirtation less a distraction and even managed to reciprocate it, though he doubted he was quite as charming as Myla's laugh made him feel.

"Well, I can't speak for my boss," Myla said as they wrapped up discussions a half hour later. "And certainly not my boss's boss. But if I had it my way, you'd be on staff for our upcoming deal with the First Order."

"That's great to hear," Finn replied steadily, even if his insides were jumping with excitement at his success. "I'll be hearing from you then?" he said, more a statement than a question.

 Myla stood, signaling for Rey and Finn to do the same. "Whether you get the job or not, Den, I think it's safe to say you'll be hearing from me." Her voice positively purred, and Finn merely raised an eyebrow at her.  He looked over at Rey, hoping to see that same scowl on her face. Instead, she was studying Finn with a furrowed brow.

"We'll just have to make sure Kaira passes that call along, then," Finn said, a challenge in his voice. He wasn't entirely sure why he was challenging Rey in such a way. It was he who was attracted to her, not the other way around. But he was rewarded with a flinch anyway.

-0-0-0-

The sun was setting—an odd thing for Rey to see, considering it had been just after dawn when they'd arrived a couple hours earlier. But she was anxious to retire with the sun, and was grateful she and Finn were traveling back to the _Kismet_ to fetch their luggage. The two meetings she and Finn had had with the two gangs had gone well, but she'd been stressed the entire time.

She was new to this, after all. She had learned to call on the Force to levitate rocks. She trained to feel others' emotions and persuade the weak-minded. She'd even become quite the warrior and honed her saber technique. But she had never impersonated a criminal before.

The pair arrived at their ship, and Rey was momentarily distracted from her thoughts as she and Finn gathered their things.

"Do you have everything?" Finn asked with a bag strap over his shoulder and a smaller suitcase in his hand.

Rey nodded, pressing the antigrav on her trunk so she could easily push it down the ramp. "All set, thanks." And Finn nodded at her with a slight smile. He'd been smiling since they exited their second successful interview.

And why shouldn't he? Even though he was hardly more experienced in this line of work than her, he was like a chameleon. In his meeting with Guana the Hutt's representative, he had been an entirely different person than when they met with Myla Rune. Rey felt herself blush, thinking of that meeting. Finn had been so charming...and flirtatious with the woman. Rey couldn't compete with that—not that she wanted to, of course.

Or rather, Finn didn't seem to want her to. And Rey was more upset by that than she cared to admit.

Rey followed Finn back to the Transport platform. The light from the sky was fading fast. Rey could even see the beginning of some stars in the purple sky between the canyon walls. Street lights sticking out from those walls started to kick on to provide light for the many occupants of the city streets. The population hadn't seemed to drop at all even now that the day was over.

Rey followed Finn onto the transport again, and felt herself frown. She had been so excited to see him after being away for six months. And for the first few moments after her return, he had seemed eager to see her, too.

They had embraced, and he held her tight like he had on Starkiller base. She whispered how happy she was to see him again, and then he stiffened in her arms, and pulled back.

Since then, he'd been like he was now. Standoffish, uninterested, and occasionally cold. Rey hoped it was just because he was so focused on his mission. And he was _good_ at his job. In fact, she'd been so distracted by his sudden change of personality in front of Myla, Rey almost hadn't sensed it.

They arrived at their hotel fairly quickly. Finn got their room key and went to an elevator. Starting down the hall on the fourth floor, Finn spoke up. Again, his voice was rather calm, almost emotionless, like he was actively trying not to give anything away. And he was rather resistant to her gentle probing with the Force, as she suspected he would be.

"I only booked one room—I wasn't expecting to be accompanied on this mission. But they said there are two beds."

Rey felt herself nod, feeling not for the first time she was not welcome on this mission with him.

Finn opened the door and they stepped in.

Rey glanced around the room, and she grew concerned. But her concern was tabled quickly because, for the first time, she felt some real emotion emanate off of Finn. Panic.

"I'll take the couch," he said quickly, but his voice and face were still stoic. There was only the one bed, and a rather small couch.

"Finn, that's not fair. This is your mission." Rey started. But she couldn't help but be impressed with Finn's acting ability. For the first time, she could sense what was really going on in his heart. But if not for that, she would have no idea that Finn was extremely anxious. Why, she still couldn't quite tell.

"Nonsense," he said, and moved quickly to the couch, dropping his bag on it.

Rey frowned, but pushed her own trunk over to the bedside. If he was going to be stubborn about it, there was no sense in raising a fuss. She already felt like she was walking on thin ice around him. But there was something she needed to talk about.

"Finn, you didn't tell me you could use the Force," Rey said at last, as she began to unpack. She'd wanted to talk to him about it ever since she felt it radiating off of him during the two interviews.

Finn turned slowly and frowned at her. "What are you talking about?"

"In the meeting with Myla," Rey started while she pulled some clothes out of her trunk. She wasn't sure why he was playing dumb. "You were tapping into the Force. I've never used it that way before—you weren't influencing her. It was more like you were influencing yourself."

He shook his head. "Rey, I have no idea what you're talking about. I can't use the Force."

She dropped a dress she'd borrowed from Jessika Pava and turned to face Finn. "Finn, I felt it."

His eyebrows, initially furrowed in confusion, dropped lower in anger. "Well, I don't want to use it," he said. And the Force disobeyed him, and swept back over his emotions in a moment. She couldn't sense them at all anymore, though the look of bitterness on his face was easy enough to discern. Rey just didn't understand why he should feel that way.

"It's quite wonderful, really," Rey started. "I'm nothing compared to Master Luke, but I could show you—"

But Finn cut her off, his voice cold and short again. "I left the First Order because I'd prefer to have a choice in matters, Rey. I don't want to be some pawn of the Force and destiny."

Rey wanted to respond to that, but the hurt on his face made her think of something Poe had told her before she left with Finn. He had been solemn as he told her; not angry, but almost disappointed. "You know the first thing Finn did when he woke up? He called for you. And you weren't there."

Finn turned away from her when she didn't respond and headed to the door. "You don't have to come if you don't want, but I'm heading out to a club we passed on the transport. I'm fairly certain some of Ura-Vun Di's gang hangs out there, and I want to make an impression."

Rey was tired and truly wanted to sleep, but she grabbed her things and trailed after him. She told herself that she wanted to help. But she knew the real motivation for following him was that she didn't like the idea of Finn being alone with Myla Rune in a club.


	2. The Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your support! I hope to have at least a chapter a week until this story is complete.

Chapter II: The Night 

The atmosphere of _The Falling Star_ was not quite what Rey had expected. She had in her mind that the club associated with Uru-Vun Di's gang would be seedy and dirty. But the establishment was well-lit, the walls were tastefully colored and decorated, and the dance floor was filled with lively activity that Rey could see herself engaging in under different circumstances. Perhaps even with the man who led her over to the bar. 

Finn had his hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her while his eyes darted around the room. It seemed like he observed and diagnosed everyone in the room. He was good at it, a skill set Rey didn't have. She couldn't even get a read on Finn. 

She remembered the way he had grabbed her hand on Jakku, anxious to make that basic human contact while protecting her. At the time, Rey had been indignant with the action. She had taken care of herself for _years_ , thank you very much. Surely she could run by herself. 

And surely she could walk through a club with a few questionable characters. Yet she couldn't be offended by Finn's hand on her back, his way of keeping her secure. If anything, it brought her back to a time when their relationship was simple. Two people on the run who quickly grew to care for one another. 

They arrived at the bar and Finn dropped his hand. Rey glanced quickly at his face, and his brow was furrowed as he looked at his own hand, almost as if looking at a traitor. He quickly regained his stoic expression, however, and looked at Rey. "You want a drink?" 

"I'm not sure it would be great to get drunk while—" 

Finn smirked at her and quirked an eyebrow. "I wasn't planning on getting wasted, Rey." He dropped his voice, and glanced around the bar. "But we _do_ want to blend in. And not ordering drinks may look a bit suspicious." 

Rey shrugged and motioned to the bar droid. "I'll have a Halmad Prime," she said. Finn smiled and nodded at her. 

"I've heard good things," he said as the droid prepared her drink. "I'll just try out your Marloth Beer." 

They soon had their drinks, and Rey felt an odd sense of comfort. She hadn't even had any alcohol yet. There was just something about being out with Finn, her first—and frankly only—friend. Even if she wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was at the moment, this was an experience she had only dreamed of on Jakku. Rey had walked through the wreckage of a cantina on a Star Destroyer, and allowed herself to envision a world where she could go out with friends and have a good time. 

"Did you have drinks in the First Order?" Rey asked tentatively. 

Finn glanced over at her, a little surprised by her question. She realized, that though she'd had six months to digest that he had been a Stormtrooper, and had no problems with his past, they had never had a conversation like this. 

"Kind of," Finn said. "The First Order had done extensive studies on soldier performance and psychology of the battle-weary. They found it was good to let the troopers blow off some steam—of course, their version of that is a bit different than this," he motioned to the club. "We had designated times where we were allowed to go to the mess hall for socializing and drinks. But like everything in the First Order, there was no variety. Only one drink was available, and there was a three drink limit. No music, no dancing, but I enjoyed it. It seemed like one of the few times I could be a little different from the other troopers. 

"How about you?" Finn asked as he took a swig of his drink. "I didn't see anything of this sort at Nima Outpost. You know, during my brief run through..." 

Rey laughed and sipped her drink. It burned unpleasantly in her throat, but overall, she liked it. "Not exactly—but there were plenty of people who drowned their Jakku sorrows with all sorts of scavenged or imported alcohol. I tried it a couple of times, but I didn't like how vulnerable I felt." 

Finn let out a light huff, almost a laugh. "What a pair we are, huh?" 

Rey smiled up at him, and he smiled back, and things felt right. "Who cares if my first real experience drinking is on an undercover mission as Kaira Gan?" 

Finn laughed out loud before taking another swig. "That's right! And what do I have to complain about? I've got a beautiful girl at my side, a nice drink—what does it matter if it's all fake?" 

Rey, who had almost blushed at being called beautiful by Finn, felt her swelling heart drop at his _next_ admission. It was fake. Was he in character again? She saw him scan the club again, and his eyes settled on a corner where Rey recognized Myla Rune from their meeting earlier. The Twi'Lek's arms were draped around a male Twi'Lek, and they looked at each other caringly. 

"Uh oh, Finn," Rey said. She tried to keep any smugness out of her voice. "Looks like you've got competition." 

Finn smiled at her, and she grew only more confused by the man beside her. Was he infatuated with the Twi'Lek or not? If not, she couldn't trust _any_ read she had on Finn. "That man is Anderand. He's in tight with Ura-Vun. From what I could gather, he may even be his right hand man." 

"So you've _really_ got competition," Rey responded, and matched his smile. 

"Let's go play some sabaac," Finn said abruptly, and pointed at a nearby table where a group of humans and an Advozse mercenary were playing. "I want to get their attention—you think you can use the Force to increase your chances of winning?" 

Rey furrowed her brow. She had played some sabaac on the old computers she had scrounged up and installed in her home on Jakku—but she'd never played against a human. And she'd been developing her ability to read emotions through the Force, but her experience had been limited. 

"I guess we'll see," Rey said tightly. 

And so they joined a pair of games. Rey kept an eye on Finn as she got up to speed on how the game had evolved since her three decade-old software had been developed. He was good. Some might call him lucky, but Rey knew better. He was unintentionally tapping into the Force, just as he'd asked her to do. 

Of course, Rey _knew_ what she was doing. So it was no surprise when she started to win more hands than she lost. Through the Force, she got a very clear understanding from her opponent's reaction to his deck whether or not his hand was good. Based on that reaction, she could adjust how aggressive she was in trying to hit the twenty-three. 

And she could tell Finn was doing the exact same thing without even knowing it. 

Of course, having been trained, she was better at it. She was more audacious with her wagers. Her potential opponents eyed her youthful and innocent appearance, and salivated at the large bets she put down. 

It didn't take long for them to run their opponents off the tables—and eager challengers took their place, hoping to take the growing pile of credits on the table. Opponent after opponent rose and fell, each bringing additional spectators. Challengers were spurred on less and less by the possible haul, and more by the collective pride of the sabaac regulars. 

"Keep this up, Kaira," Finn called over to her table as he spied the winnings they were each collecting. "And we won't need to get that job." 

Rey smiled at him. "Who knew we went into the wrong profession? I didn't realize it was so easy to make a quick credit." 

Their present opponents, each running low on funds, grumbled at their cocksure remarks. A few spectators joined in on the taunting, and the scene continued to garner attention. Rey felt happiness bubble up inside her as Finn sent her a winning smile. She grinned back easily. 

When they kept winning, a true crowd began to form. And among that crowd, came Myla Rune and Anderand. Finn caught Rey's eye and mouthed to her, "keep playing." She nodded and turned back to the Advozse who had just sat down. 

Finn announced that he was done for the night, motioning for the game droid to take care of his winnings. There were a few groans among their audience, but Myla Rune looked on happily and beckoned Finn over to her and Anderand. Rey couldn't help the swell of pride that she had finally helped contribute in the mission. Sure, Finn might have been able to do it alone, but Rey didn't necessarily think that was the case. 

She also wasn't so sure of exactly who Finn was anymore. Certainly, she'd always know deep down he was the man who came back for her on Starkiller. But was he innately the cold, standoffish master of disguise? Or was he the genuine friend who could have drinks with her, and talk about their messed up past together? 

-0-0-0- 

Finn did his best to shake his head of Rey as he approached Myla Rune. He was having such a good evening with her—and he didn't even _want_ to. But it was just so natural. Her mere presence brought a smile to his face unless he was actively stolid. 

"Myla!" Finn said jovially as he approached the Twi-Lek woman. "How good to see you again so soon!" 

"And you as well, Den," she replied with a smile. She motioned to her companion and introduced him. "This is my husband, Anderand." 

"Husband?" Finn asked, legitimately surprised. He held out his hand to shake Anderand's outstretched one. "That's the worst news I've heard all day. Den Prodo, nice to meet you." 

Anderand was a handsome man, as far as a Twi'Lek was concerned. Like Myla, he seemed to be in his early thirties. His dim red skin gave him a strong presence, but his smile immediately put Finn at ease. His teeth were less angular than most of the Twi'Lek men he'd seen, and his eyes were warm in greeting. "The pleasure is mine, Den Prodo. My wife tells me you nearly stole her away from me this morning." 

Finn laughed, grateful his tone was light. "I assure you, Anderand, had I known she was married or that you were my competition, there would have been no feeble attempts at charm." 

Anderand chuckled. "Don't you worry. It is part of our screening process for such a job as this to throw different situations at you. And it is nice to know that Den Prodo can handle himself in front of a beautiful woman." Anderand winked at his wife who swatted his arm and rolled her eyes. 

"Well, it _is_ my job to be able to read people and situations," Finn said, hoping to boost his image even more in front of this man. "So I should hope a pretty girl can't throw me off my game." 

"It looks as though she helps your game, even," Myla countered, nodding her head at Rey, who was still giving it to the poor Advozse merc. "Maybe we should hire _her_ based on that credit pile." 

"Gambling is a nice way to make a few credits," Finn replied, largely ignoring the comment about Rey. He didn't want to start thinking about her again. Those thoughts were potentially distracting. "And it's nice practice for negotiating. I need to read my opponent, and I want to dictate what my opponent reads off of me. But ultimately, it's just a game. I prefer _real_ work." 

Anderand studied him with a slight smile for a moment. "I want to meet with you to discuss your potential employment." 

Internally, Finn's heart leapt with joy. This night could not be going any better. But he let a casual smile come to his lips and nodded at Anderand. "Well, I'd like that meeting as well, Anderand. You name the time, and I'll be there." 

Myla cut in. "Oh let's take the pair of them to dinner, Ander. We can enjoy the night before you talk business." 

Anderand nodded. "I agree, Myla. I think we'll get along with Den and his associate splendidly. Tomorrow is our Third Day, so how about we meet you in two nights at Red Rock Restaurant?" 

Finn knew from his preparations that Third Day was the term used to describe when people slept on the planet Marloth. The shortened days messed with everyone's internal clocks. Having sleeping schedules carefully planned was key to successful business without letting health suffer. 

"We were hoping to take our Third Day tomorrow as well," Finn replied, and then smiled exaggeratedly. "How wonderfully serendipitous." 

Myla smirked at him. "Okay, expert negotiator—laying it on a bit thick, aren't we?" 

"Perhaps I'll spend the day improving my craft, then," Finn answered with a chuckle. "I do appreciate the opportunity, and look forward to seeing you in a couple days. Shall we say sunset?" 

"Four o'clock sounds perfect," Anderand nodded. "Now you better stop your woman before she bankrupts everyone in this place. A lot of them are under my employ, after all." 

Finn laughed and gave his goodbyes before turning back to Rey, whose credit pile had, indeed, grown in his short time away. He paused for just a moment to watch her work. She was calm and watched her opponent's eyes carefully. She was using the Force. He knew it because she was winning, sure. But if he was being honest with himself, Finn knew he sensed it. 

Leia had told him she could feel the Force in him. Maz Kanata, when she wasn't making fun of him, had told him she could sense it in him, too. But Finn wanted nothing to do with it. The Force was just another master to obey. At least, Finn had to assume it was. If Rey _hadn't_ left him for Ahch-To because of the Force's will, he wasn't sure he could ever look at her the same. If she'd just left because watching someone heal is boring and she had more fun places to be... 

Finn shook his head. He had to believe she'd been following the Force's will. It hurt bad enough just knowing she left him, so he told himself it wasn't her choice. But he, for one, was done following orders he didn't understand or believe in. And he had to believe the Force was a demanding master. Otherwise...why would Rey have left him before he woke up? 

Rey lay down a plus three. Twenty Two. Her opponent cursed when he couldn't beat her, and she swept the match. She smiled as she slid the credits to her side of the table. She was enchanting, beautiful. Finn thought he could just watch her all evening and be content. 

Finn took a deep breath and walked up to her. He set his hand on her shoulder, loving it every time he made physical contact with Rey. "Let's head out," he whispered in her ear. She turned her head slightly and nodded. 

"Sorry to end the entertainment for the evening," Finn announced to the happy onlookers. "But we are feeling a little bad for our competition." 

There was some laughter and grumbling as Rey stood and the pair gathered their winnings from the night. The two left the club and started walking down the street, each glancing at each other occasionally to see the grin on the other's face. The sky was already starting to brighten with the incoming sunrise. Finn shook his head at the strangeness of the shortened day. He'd never experienced anything like it. 

Rey knew better than to talk about the job while they were out in public with people passing by, so Finn wasn't surprised when she focused on the other part of the evening. "How are you so good at sabaac?" 

"Learned in my old life," Finn said with a chuckle, knowing Rey would understand he meant the First Order. He smiled fondly at the memories. "I always thought that Slip was just terrible at it. I didn't realize until I beat Poe nine times out of ten that I had a gift." 

Finn saw it on her face—or maybe he felt it—that she wanted to say something. And Finn had a sinking feeling it might have to do with the Force. So he was grateful when she didn't bring it up. "Well, count me very impressed. We just made enough money to cover transport and food expenses for weeks, if this mission takes that long." 

Finn smiled. "I'm the impressed one. When was the last time _you_ played sabaac?" 

"That is the first time I've ever played against a living opponent," Rey said with a shake of her head. "I had a good time, though." 

They turned into their hotel lobby and moved to the elevator. "I did, too," Finn said honestly. And a part of him wanted to be angry for having such a nice time with Rey. He wanted to remain apart from her. But the larger part of him wondered why he should hold a grudge. So she left him. And it hurt. He may not understand why, and he may not fully let her back into his heart. But he could move on. Especially if it meant having his friend back. 

They got back to their room, and as soon as the door closed, Rey asked the question he knew she'd been dying to ask. "What did they say?" 

Finn felt happiness surge back into him just as it had when Anderand had invited them to dinner. He swept Rey up in a hug and swung her around. She let out a laugh that had Finn laughing as well. "It couldn't have gone better. They were impressed by us—you were perfect, Rey. And Anderand is Myla's husband." 

"Husband?" Rey asked, as the pair pulled back from each other. Finn kept her hands in his, however, careful to keep that physical contact. 

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it. Apparently part of the interview was to determine how I handle various people, including a flirtatious woman." 

Rey raised her eyebrow. "And you handled it correctly?" 

Finn felt himself flush slightly, a bit embarrassed in hindsight by his suggestive behavior with Myla Rune during the interview. "I mean...Den Prodo handled it correctly." 

Rey nodded. "I suppose he did. So, you got the job?" 

" _We,_ " Finn corrected, "have a dinner-interview planned two nights from now—I guess it's tomorrow, now. We'll take our Third Day today so we can be rested for the interview." 

Rey nodded, and smiled at him. Again, Finn was struck by how beautiful she was. "Thank you, Finn. This has been...surprisingly fun." 

And it was then that Finn decided he couldn't continue his active anger at her. Sure, she hadn't prepared for this mission for months like he had. But she hadn't asked to come, either. Skywalker had approached the General, and without any further discussion, Finn had been told "the plan will have a better chance of success if there's a Jedi along." 

He'd been frustrated—while she was off twirling a lightsaber, Finn had been working his ass off. And just like that, she got put on the mission. And on top of it all, she had the audacity to act as though she'd done nothing wrong, leaving him in a coma and without any contact for six months. 

Finn shook his head. Her sincerity practically shined off of her grateful smile, and Finn couldn't help but let his frustration with her and the situation melt away. He could move on. He returned the smile. "I'm having a good time, too," he answered. "It was nice to spend a night with you that didn't involve blasters or rathtars." And a weight he hadn't known he'd been carrying for six months seemed to lift off of his shoulders. This grudge of frustration and hurt and anger dissipated into the air. Perhaps not completely, but maybe now he could go more than an hour without wondering about why she'd left him. 

And they smiled at each other for a long while. Gradually, the comfortable silence gathered tension as Finn continued to look at her beautiful face. She had a strand of hair blocking one her eyes from his view. He wanted to push the hair behind her ear. Instead, Finn dropped her hands, very unsure if the heat crawling up his skin was something she experienced, too. 

"Well, we'd better...you know, get some sleep," he said softly. 

"Right," Rey said, looking away. "Got a big night tomorrow." 

They each took some turns in the refresher, prepping for their sleep. Finn kept sneaking glances at Rey as they passed by one another in the room. She had changed into some thinner clothes for sleeping that made the heat on Finn's skin return, so he averted his eyes and went over to the couch and spread out a blanket. 

"Goodnight, Finn," Rey said softly as she climbed into the bed. 

And Finn had to agree as he plopped down on the couch. It was a good night. He smiled as he thought of their night together. A night out with a friend. That's exactly what it had felt like. He had his friend back. 

"Goodnight, Rey." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was tough for me to find a balance where Finn could move on, even if he doesn't yet understand or forgive Rey's actions. I hope I found it. I just think they created such a bond in TFA, it'd be impossible for him to stay COMPLETELY away from her, y'know?


	3. Dinner with Anderand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To answer the question you are all surely asking, yes, I did name Anderand strictly so I could title the chapter Dinner with Anderand. And you know what? I don't care if none of you get the reference. Or if you do get the reference and don't find it amusing at all. I don't care. I got a stupid chuckle out of myself, and that's enough for me!
> 
> Oh, hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter III: Dinner with Anderand

 

When Finn awoke, he immediately sat up. Partly, the habit to immediately leave his bed had been ingrained in him for as long as he could remember. But, he also wanted to get a quick start on the day so that the dinner that night would go off without a hitch. And perhaps he also woke up to the sound of Rey's soft breathing from the other side of the room, and laying there listening to the sweet sound would do nothing good for him, surely.

He thought he heard Rey stir as he entered the 'fresher, but decided to focus instead on his plans for the day as he took a shower. It took some effort, but he was able to get sufficiently prepared in his mind so that he was ready for the day when he exited the refresher, towel wrapped around his waist.

But Rey was awake, and making her bed. She turned around at the soft click of the door shutting behind Finn, and they just stared at each other for a moment.

Growing up in the First Order army, Finn was extremely comfortable being naked around others. From communal showers to open barracks, there was no way to find privacy, and there was no reason to seek it. It was simply the culture.

But standing here now, with nothing but a towel to shield him from Rey's searching eyes, Finn felt himself flush. With embarrassment or excitement, he wasn't quite sure, but he'd probably have to bet on both.

Her eyes, initially wide, suddenly grew sad, and she stepped forward. Finn noticed now where her gaze had settled, and he turned his head and started to walk away. But she stopped him. "Finn," she said softly as she stepped in front of him.

He paused and gradually met her eyes, which asked him a question. He nodded, and she stepped forward, hand outstretched. His skin twitched as she touched the scar under his shoulder, heating under her fingers. But he wasn't so concerned about his reaction to her as he was her reaction to him.

Finn wasn't ashamed of his scars. He grew up a warrior; now he was a Resistance fighter. The scars were a mark of pride in many ways. And he knew Rey wouldn't be disturbed by them—she was more of a fighter than he, after all. No, Finn was concerned that she would blame herself.

"I'm so sorry, Finn," Rey said as her eyes drifted away from his wound to the empty wall behind Finn. "You never should have—"

"Don't you dare!" Finn whispered furiously and grabbed her face in his hands to force her to look at him. "I knew what I was doing when I went back to Starkiller. I knew what would happen when I tried to fight Ren. _I_ did it then, Rey. Not because of any fault of yours. And I'd do it again."

Finn thought he saw Rey's eyes start to well up, but he couldn't be sure because she quickly pulled him into a desperate hug. Han Solo had told them to hug later—Finn supposed this was 'later' enough. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and returned the gesture. Her hands slowly ran up his back, along his scar.

"Thank you. So much, Finn. Thank you!"

Finn wasn't exactly sure how long they hugged before he remembered he was nearly naked with a girl he had dreamt about on more than one occasion, and in more than one scenario. He released his hold on her before his body could react to those memories and hoped she would follow suit. Fortunately, she did.

"Go ahead and get ready for the day," Finn said, his voice soft. "I'll grab us a small bite to eat—hold us over 'til tonight."

Rey nodded at him, and she turned to the refresher.

Finn couldn't get out of their room fast enough. Not only did he not want to hear the shower water turn on and have some unwanted images pop into his head, but he needed some fresh air. The hotel—built into the canyon walls like everything else—could get a little stuffy with its fake windows and mediocre air circulation.

He was dressed and taking his time walking down the street before he could completely process what had happened between Rey and him. He said that he'd do it all again—Starkiller, the fight with Kylo Ren, the rehab process. As Finn distractedly bought some fruit from a street vendor, he had to admit to himself he hadn't said it to placate her.

He would truly do it all again, and he wasn't entirely sure why.

Finn sighed as he slowly turned back to the hotel to return to the girl he had gone back to Starkiller for. He had known her for less than a day when he risked it all to rescue her. He was ready to get to the Outer Rim and disappear. He had already said his goodbyes to her. What had prompted him to save her?

It hadn't even been a decision by default. He still could've left—no one in the Resistance would have batted an eye. He was just a defector of the enemy. He had already helped them immeasurably by getting the map and saving Poe. He didn't owe them anything. But maybe he owed Rey something.

After all, _he_ was the one who dragged Rey off of Jakku. And no matter how abominable the planet was, it was her home, and she hadn't been in mortal danger from the First Order until he showed up. So, perhaps that explained why he went back for her. He got her into the mess, and he needed to get her out of it.

But then why would he do it all again?

She hadn't even waited around for him. He woke up just a couple weeks after she left, and she couldn't wait until then? Luke had been gone for _years_. Certainly a couple weeks more wouldn't have hurt.

Finn originally thought he had gone back to Starkiller because Rey was his friend. Because friends were supposed to be there for each other. But clearly, in that day that they had known each other, Rey didn't consider _him_ a friend. Or she'd have been there for him.

So that left Finn reconsidering why he had done it, and why he would do it again.

Before he came to any sort of conclusion, he arrived back at his hotel room. He swung the door open, and all of his thoughts departed in an instant. Because, truth be told, Finn would go back for this girl just for her sheer beauty.

Rey had her back to him initially, having just pulled a golden necklace out of her trunk. She had donned a dress—and somewhere in the back of his mind, Finn thought it might be a first for the young woman. It was certainly a first for him to see her in such form-fitting clothing, to see her bare legs extending out of the forest green dress, to see the exposed skin of her back where the dress fabric dipped low.

Rey turned around and Finn managed to close his mouth and swallow before he made too much of a fool of himself. She was so naturally beautiful, Finn decided, as a small smile came to her lips. Her hair was down—another first for Finn. It fell carelessly over her nearly bare shoulders and Finn had to force himself to keep his eyes from scanning her body.

"You...you look beautiful," Finn heard himself say, and wondered where his subtlety and tact went when he wasn't playing the part of Den Prodo.

Rey blushed—which somehow only increased her allure—and looked away from him. She nervously played with the necklace in her hands as she responded. "General Organa asked Jessika to give me a wardrobe for the trip. She seemed to think I might need to look...not like a scavenger, I guess."

"Well, it suits you," Finn blurted out. His voice seemed to speed up as he continued to talk. "I mean, so does your scavenger garb, of course. You always look good—it's just you do now, too."

Rey raised an eyebrow at Finn as he coughed and looked away from her. "Thanks. You clean up nice, too."

"Sure," Finn said with a shake of his head. He desperately looked to change the subject and lifted the bag in his hand. "I grabbed some breakfast. It's not big, considering dinner is in a couple hours..."

"So strange," Rey said with a smile as she stepped forward to take the bag from him. She stopped when she realized she still had her necklace in her hands.

"Here," Finn said as he quickly set the bag down on the small table and turned back to her to take the necklace from her.

Rey smiled gratefully and handed him the thin golden chain before turning her back to him. "Thanks. Would you believe this is the first time I've put on any jewelry?"

Finn chuckled as he inspected the pendant, trying to keep his eyes from the skin of her bare back. The pendant was a beautiful emerald colored crescent moon. "Would you believe it's my first time putting on jewelry, too?"

Rey laughed softly as Finn reached around her, and his fingers felt like they were on fire as they grazed the skin of her neck and shoulders. Finn stopped breathing as he pulled the chain around her neck, and he thought she had stopped breathing, too. In the silence, he fumbled for a moment with the unfamiliar clasp before it linked in place. Finn set his fingers softly on Rey's arms to turn her around.

Finn had never meant to feel such strong emotion around Rey. But her small smile was welcoming and her strong presence so magnetic. She was intoxicating. He ran his hands slowly down her arms.

"It looks great on you," he said softly. At her blush, Finn shook his head and forced himself not to comment on her beauty again. "You ready?"

Rey nodded. "Let's go over the plan a little more over breakfast, and I will be."

And so the pair ate together and discussed strategy. Finn already had a plan for the bigger picture, but the details of these intimate interactions with individuals could not be planned for until the moment. Finn was grateful to be talking business, because his feelings were getting the best of him. He was constantly torn between feelings of betrayal and desire when it came to Rey, and he wasn't quite sure how to reconcile them.

So they focused on the mission, and soon they were at dinner. Finn did his best to keep his eyes forward, searching for Anderand and Myla Rune, and _not_ walking just a step behind Rey so he could glance down at the way her dress fit snuggly around her backside, imagining if her legs felt as smooth as they looked, whether to his fingers or his lips—

"Den!" Finn looked up sharply, his brain frozen for a moment before he recognized Anderand in front of him, smirking.

Finn cursed inwardly, but put on a smile and extended a hand to Anderand. He glanced over at Rey to make sure she hadn't caught him checking her out. Thankfully, she was greeting Myla with a hug. Myla, on the other hand, grinned widely at Finn over Rey's shoulder.

"So great to see the two of you," Finn lied, just wanting to move on from this embarrassment. But, in the back of his mind, Finn knew this might just be a good thing for their dinner. Shared experiences formed a bond of trust, even if it was completely unrelated to where Finn hoped to gain their trust. Now, Anderand and Myla held a secret of Finn's, but not one they could blackmail with.

And within minutes of the dinner, Finn had gotten used to their knowing looks every time he so much as _looked_ at Rey. He would smile easily back at them, and the bond of trust would grow bit by bit.

The restaurant was _nice_. It was clearly reserved for the higher-ups of the Red Nikto gang and the associates they hoped to woo or coerce. The setting was open and grand, but oddly intimate with warm lighting and personable staff. Finn fell quickly into conversation with the Twi'Lek and his role as Den Prodo.

As for Rey, she was perfect. Not only was she radiant in her dress, but she was lively and engaging. It seemed her turn as a sabaac champion had unleashed a confident confidence woman. Finn felt a twinge of something every time she spoke or reacted to their hosts, and it prompted him to play along. He knew what to say, how to behave, and he and Rey were perfectly in sync.

In the unacknowledged portion of his thoughts, Finn knew it was the Force. From Rey's promptings and Finn's growing experience, it was becoming obvious to him. Something greater than his mind and intellect guided Rey and him that night. But he'd worry about that later. For now, Myla Rune and Anderand demanded his full attention.

"This has been such a delightful evening," Anderand commented as the foursome finished the last of their courses, a mouthwatering chocolate cake. "Allow me to order us some wine and we can move on to business."

"Anderand," Finn started as a waiter responded to the Twi'Lek's hand motion. "I hate to break up the dinner party, here, but I'm afraid I need to ask Kaira to leave if we are to discuss details—which I'm sure we will need to do for me to prove my worth."

Anderand frowned. "I'm not sure I understand, Den. Kaira is perfectly welcome, as I'm sure she knows all the details you do."

Rey jumped in. "And that's precisely why I need to leave, Anderand." She smiled warmly, clearly unconcerned with being asked to not take part in business discussions. "Den is a negotiator, a master of controlling the emotions of a business meeting. One wrong word from me or misleading body language could compromise the work Den does to control the meeting."

While Rey's explanation may actually be true, the real reason for her leaving was that Finn needed to set the expectation that all future negotiations would be done by him, and him alone. Anderand could not tag along for Finn's negotiations, and now the precedent was in place, and the request to be alone would not be met with suspicion.

Still frowning, but now contemplative, Anderand nodded. Myla jumped in. "I don't need to be here, Ander. Kaira and I can go get a drink at the bar while you boys talk business."

Finn smiled at the beautiful Twi'Lek. "That is extremely kind of you, Myla. I assure you, Kaira is more than used to leaving for these discussions."

Myla stood and shook her head at Finn. "Don't be absurd, Den. Come now, Kaira. They serve a fruit cocktail here that is to die for."

The ladies stood from the table and Finn watched the pair of them walk over to the bar. His eyes once again gravitated to Rey, and once again, he was shaken out of his reverie by a smug Anderand.

"I think asking Kaira to leave was more about helping you keep _your_ focus than about her telling your bluffs."

Finn turned back to Anderand, a retort on his tongue. But there was no point in hiding the truth at this point. "It's certainly a bit of both, Anderand," he said with a slight smile.

"So, how long have you two—"

"We haven't, actually," Finn interrupted. "Which is probably for the best. After all, this is business."

And just like that, Finn let his face become unreadable. This prompted a raised eyebrow from Anderand. "And you can turn it all off, just like that?"

"I have trained and practiced for years to give nothing away—even the desire for a woman can't get in the way of that."

Anderand nodded, smiling. "I've heard good things about your work, Den. But as I understand it, you have had few purchases as large as the one we've been planning for a few months now."

"I have had _no_ purchases as large as yours, Anderand—but that speaks much more to the magnitude of your deal, and much less to my experience. The work is the same, only there is much more opportunity to negotiate down cost and up revenue."

"And what do you know of our deal, Den?" Anderand asked curiously.

"While exact details have remained outside of my research capabilities, I know you have an order for nearly all of Jean Dor's Scavenged Goods stock, and you have a buyer in the First Order, Captain  Ponzaa."

Anderand's eyebrows rose in surprise, and perhaps alarm. "How did you come across this information?"

Truth be told, the Resistance had been trying to make the same purchase, and even hoped to cut out the middleman. But, Jean Dor had too much history with the crime organizations run by Ura-Vun Di and Guana the Hutt to bypass them. They provided protection for his business so long as they could facilitate his larger orders.  And this was certainly a larger order.

But Finn would be crazy to tell the truth in this meeting. "It would be irresponsible to give up my contacts," Finn said with a slight smile, and Anderand didn't press the issue. "But in the spirit of full disclosure, I need you to know that I have meetings with some of Guana the Hutt's men for this same job."

Anderand grew angry quickly; the fury on his face was frankly terrifying, and if Finn hadn't been expecting it, he would have felt the fear. "And why would you be doing that? This is _our_ deal."

"I agree with you," Finn replied calmly. "Even if Guana doesn't. But my job is to negotiate—and leverage is key in negotiation. I only make a commission of the money I save you. By giving you competition, I hope to increase my commission. I assure you, you only need match whatever they offer. I much prefer your company to theirs."

Anderand shook his head as the anger was slowly replaced by a smile. "I suppose I should expect no less from someone in your position."

"In my humble opinion," Finn started with a charming smirk, "you shouldn't hire someone for this job who wouldn't try something like this."

"So, what can you do that I cannot do?" Anderand asked, leaning back in his chair. "Why should I keep you from Guana's filthy hands?"

And Finn proceeded to make promises he couldn't keep, to impress his hopeful boss, and to all but secure the job. And all the while, he felt that familiar tug deep in his being that he now knew to be the Force.

It pained him, in a way, that he couldn't get away from it. He couldn't keep ignoring it if it wouldn't leave him alone. And even if Finn was just a little bit stubborn, he wasn't stupid. If the Force was going to insist on helping him, he'd have to learn how to listen. And, he thought as he glanced over at Rey across the room, maybe understanding it would help him better understand Rey.

-0-0-0-

"So how long have you and Den been together?" Myla Rune asked as the bar tender handed over the drinks.

"Let's see," Rey said as she handled her glass gently in her fingers. "It'll be three months next week. He hired me right from my job as—"

"No!" Myla interrupted. "How long have you been... _together_?"

It took Rey a moment to realize what Myla was asking before a blush crept up her skin. "Oh, we aren't."

"And the Republic is thriving," Myla responded sardonically with a roll of her eyes. "The way you two look at each other, I'm surprised he didn't throw you down on the table and have _you_ for dinner."

"Myla!" Rey gasped, legitimately scandalized by the statement. Of course, Rey would never admit to the spark of hunger that settled deep in her abdomen at Myla's suggestion.

"I call it how I see it," Myla responded with a smirk. "And while you've been undressing Den with your eyes, he's been positively devouring you with his."

Rey couldn't possibly believe Myla, even if she was partially right about what Rey wanted to do when she looked at the smartly dressed Finn. He was unfairly handsome, and having gotten a glimpse and touch of his body that morning, Rey couldn't help but want to see and feel much more.

"And how long have you and Anderand been together?" Rey asked, desperate to change the topic of discussion.

For nearly twenty minutes, Rey carefully avoided discussing her relationship with Finn. One of the biggest problems was that Myla kept calling him Den, a constant reminder that Rey had no idea what was actually Finn and what was Den Prodo. Even if Rey _did_ believe Myla when she said that Finn couldn't keep his eyes off of her—which she definitely didn't—how could Rey know that was Finn, and not Den?

They had done dinner with another couple, after all. Maybe he was just creating a common bond with Anderand and Myla by pretending to be enamored with his own companion. It seemed like a smart move that Finn might pull, even if she wished he'd talked to her about it first.

So, she kept redirecting the conversation, not wishing to dwell on the situation, and _certainly_ not feeling comfortable enough to talk to Myla about it.

Mercifully, Finn and Anderand joined them at the bar after a while, each smiling broadly.

"How'd it go?" Myla asked.

"If this guy can give us _half_ of what he's promising, Ura-Vun will be one happy Nikto."

Myla smiled widely. "I'm sure Ura-Vun isn't the _only_ one Den can make happy," she said with a wink at Rey, who wished she could crawl into a hole right now.

Finn merely looked inquisitively at her before turning back to the couple. "This has been such an incredible evening. I can't thank you enough for your companionship."

"No , Den," Anderand replied, extending his hand to shake Finn's. "The pleasure is all ours. If the situation were different, and we weren't looking to hire you, you two are the exact company we would like to keep."

"You're too kind," Rey replied and leaned into a hug from Myla Rune.

"I expect a full report of how Den is in the sack," Myla whispered into Rey's ear. "I'm betting he's _very_ good." Rey thought she had gotten her blushing all out of the way, but quickly discovered that was not the case.

It was a tense return back to the hotel. Dinner had taken most of the night, and the sky was starting to light with the early dawn. The pair traveled by transport in relative silence. Finn had updated her on how well his meeting had gone, Rey had stayed decidedly silent about _her_ conversation with Myla. So much so, that Finn appeared to be getting suspicious about her lack of information.

But they let it be until they were safely in their room. "Hey Rey?" Finn asked as he shut the door behind him.

She turned around, a little surprised to find such a contemplative look on Finn's face. "Yeah Finn?"

"I...I don't know how to say this." He was so hesitant, and he wouldn't meet her eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat, and her mind traitorously flitted to Myla's comments.

"What is it?" she asked, a little more breathless than she'd have liked.

"I want..." his eyes shot up to hers. "I want to understand the Force."

She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and found herself strangely disappointed, considering she'd been hoping Finn would seek out the Force since she'd started feeling it in him.

"Of course!" she replied after a moment, pushing aside her foolishness. "Can I just change into something a little more comfortable first?"

Something flashed across Finn's eyes as they quickly inspected her dress. "That would probably be for the best," he replied quietly.

Not fully understanding what that meant, Rey grabbed her usual clothes to change into and walked into the refresher to change. When she emerged, Finn was just pulling on a shirt, and she got another glimpse of his bare skin. She pushed away the heat that ran through her, and failed to push away the image of running her hands along his bare stomach and chest.

"Maybe we should sit on the bed?" she asked, trying to shake her head of those thoughts.

"Um, sure."

They settled onto the bed, sitting and facing each other. Rey had spent hours and hours sitting across from Luke like this, meditating together. But Finn looked unsettled at first as he glanced at her nervously.

"The Force isn't a weapon you wield," Rey started, trying to put it in terms a warrior might understand. "It runs through you, through me. It's in the animals and plants, the suns and the planets. It keeps the galaxy in its proper place while also guiding each of us."

Finn frowned. "Did it guide Ben Solo down the path to Kylo Ren?"

Rey shook her head. "Ren _wanted_ to become who he is. Our decisions and desires determine our guidance. For example, if you hadn't decided to come here to Mos Venda, you wouldn't be receiving the guidance on how to impress Anderand and steal the weapons."

Finn nodded. "So what is different about what I'm doing and what the Jedi do?"

"The Jedi devote their lives to the Light, and learning how to best understand and _use_ the Force's guidance and power. Right now, you have no devotion to Light or Dark, and you're easily mistaking the Force for your own intuition."

Finn shook his head. "I'm starting to understand the difference," he said softly. "Teach me?"

"Close your eyes," Rey said, and she pushed out with the Force, gently prodding Finn, and feeling the Force within him. " _Feel_ for it, Finn."

They were silent for a few moments, and Rey felt him reaching out.

"And here's the hard part," she said softly, not wishing to break his concentration. "Let it in. Release your will, and let the Force in."

She felt the struggle within him. He had been bred to obey orders, to release his will. Only recently had he taken his agency for himself, and now she was asking him to give it up again—or at least to bring it in line with the Force. Finn had already expressed his distaste for the idea of adding yet another master to obey. Rey had to wonder at what his change of heart was. But for now she would just teach him. That was the best way to help him accept the Force.

She gently nudged him with the Force, hoping to send a sense of comfort as he struggled to let it in.

And just like that, he opened up. Because she had been prodding him with the Force, it was _her_ he had opened up to, and now she was connected to him, _felt_ him. He was a mess of concern and confusion, but felt hope and excitement on top of it. Above all, however, Rey was amazed at the _Light_ in him, shining from every corner, threatening to overwhelm her with peace and a sense of belonging.

It was the complete opposite of how she felt when she and Kylo Ren had been connected in the Force. With him, Rey had felt pain and terror, and an urge to fight and destroy her partner in the Force. Now, she felt...home.

In addition to the belonging she felt, there was a longing, too. It was oddly intimate, sensual in a way she never experienced with Luke. She felt her heart beating faster, her skin heating with a new sort of desire. But she felt _his_ heart speed up, too. His emotions focused as he settled into the link they shared together. He began to reach out and she felt Finn's presence inside her. She felt whole, like she'd never be alone again.

She opened her eyes to find that Finn had opened his, too. "Is...is that you?" he asked in a thick voice.

Rey nodded, a little too overwhelmed to speak. Finn's eyes grew fearful, and she felt him start to retreat.

"No, Finn," she said quickly. Sure, feeling him like this was intoxicating, but she couldn't let him retreat right when he was letting it in. She needed him to experience the Force for his sake. "Don't let go."

"Rey," he said softly, "I don't want..."

He trailed off, but he didn't need to speak. Rey felt it inside of him, the anxiety of her presence, the feeling of nakedness. So Rey retreated quickly from him, abandoning the connection they'd formed. She felt a moment of panic, wondering if Finn had felt her presence in the same way she had felt Kylo Ren's. "Sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to impose."

Finn shook his head, but let out a breath of relief. "No...it felt...pretty amazing, honestly. I just don't want..."

"I get it," Rey said abruptly, though she was extremely grateful for his admission that it felt good for him, too. But still, the man kept hiding something from her. She hadn't been searching for his secrets when they'd been connected, but now a part of her wished she had. "Now, without my connection, reach out. Feel around you. Me, the canyon walls, the fast-spinning planet beneath us."

Though she was no longer connected to him, Rey still felt him reach back out with the Force. His presence spread throughout the room. She sent feelings of encouragement to him as he brushed by her. She watched his face carefully with each new discovery he made in the Force. The calm on his face was replaced with happiness when he found the young family three rooms down. It was replaced with anger as he felt a couple feuding elsewhere in the building. His reach spread thinner and thinner, feeling only life out on the streets of Mos Venda, no longer able to discern emotion or action from their hotel room.

Beads of sweat formed on his face at the effort, and he retreated to their room and settled back on Rey. His eyes opened and they stared at each other as the Force swirled around them. Unconnected, but very much feeling one another's presence, the air seemed to grow thick with an indiscernible tension. Rey knew what _she_ was feeling, as she stared into Finn's eyes and a surge of desire swept through her.

Finn's specific feelings were now masked from her, but she felt him pulsing around her. His eyes had grown dark. His presence was heavy and frantic, and that same feeling of intoxication returned to Rey. He was addicting, and Rey let him settle all around her and soaked in the feeling of him.

Then it was all gone in an instant, and he snapped his eyes shut. Both of them were breathing heavily, but Finn wouldn't look at her. Even when he opened his eyes, his head was turned to the side.

"Thanks, Rey," he said softly. "You're...a good teacher." He stood from the bed, and still wouldn't look back at her as he made his way to the door. "I've got to go meet with one of Guana's men. It might be several hours before I get back, so feel free to explore the city, grab yourself some food."

"Okay," Rey replied, her voice sounding distant to her own ears. She knew the meeting wasn't for a few hours, yet. And while it was possible he needed to prepare first, she doubted he needed to be out in the city to do it.

He finally looked back at her and opened his mouth a couple times before finally speaking through a clearly fake smile. "Let's hope it goes as well as the dinner with Anderand, yeah?"

She smiled back at him and nodded. And he left, leaving Rey alone, confused, and desperate to feel him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think. I love the interaction with the readers. I like to think it helps me improve as a writer and better understand the characters. Thanks!


	4. Arbitrated Arms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a deleted scene from The Force Awakens that I ignore here. I never know if those things are canon or not. In any case, I hope it doesn't bother anyone that I ignore it.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Chapter IV: Arbitrated Arms

Rey sat behind Finn in the cockpit as the _Kismet_ soared low toward the landing pad in Bundon Outpost in the western hemisphere of Marloth. Finn was not a great pilot, given his very limited experience. But Rey was quite impressed with his ability. He had shown absolutely no knowledge of flying when they'd first met, and that likely meant he had been training to pilot for just the several months he'd been awake.

Rey could ask him, of course, but she wasn't sure he'd give much of a response. It had been several days since the two sat together in their hotel room, experiencing the Force together. Granted, those days were each only six hours long, but they had felt much longer to Rey.

In their first day together, Finn had been cold and distant. Rey thought he might be nervous about the mission, or perhaps upset that she had been assigned to accompany him despite no preparation on her part. She knew Finn had been getting ready for this mission for months.

But, in the following days, their relationship had thawed—it felt like all those months ago, crossing the galaxy in the _Millennium Falcon_ , escaping rathtars and star-killing planets.

"You ready?" Finn asked as he landed the _Kismet_. He didn't turn to look at her. But his voice wasn't cold either. It was simply matter-of-fact. Business. Just as his whole attitude had been since they had meditated in the Force together that night. He wasn't cold towards her anymore, nor was he inviting.

Initially, Rey feared he was rejecting the Force. She couldn't blame him—Rey had rejected the Force at first, too. It was scary, feeling such a vast power and conceding your will to it. But the truth hurt even more. Finn wasn't rejecting the Force, he was rejecting _her._

He continued to experiment with the Force, trying to discover its secrets on his own. She felt him reaching out constantly—quiet moments on the transport, on Third Day while they should be sleeping, even in important meetings with Guana the Hutt's representative. He was gently probing emotions of passersby, attempting to retrieve objects from across the room, and searching out the best way to persuade their potential employers.

But not once did he seek her help. Not once did his Force explorations go near her as they had that night. Not once did Rey feel his intoxicating presence surround her again. And it broke her heart. His seeming indifference to the situation hurt even more than his cold shoulder had.

Rey shook her head. Whatever his issue was, and whatever her insecurities about his issue, they had a mission to complete. And today was vital in furthering that mission.

"I'm ready," Rey replied in the affirmative as they stood from their seats and Finn nodded calmly at her. They moved down the ramp of his small ship and walked out into the plains of Bundon Outpost. Contrasting boldly with the mesas of Mos Venda, here Marloth was as flat as the _Kismet's_ metal plating. But the sun was cruel as a result, in the oddest of ways. With the thinner atmosphere of the fast-spinning planet and no canyons to shield them, human skin would not last long under the incessant beating of the sun and its radiation.

Finn drew his hood, and Rey followed suit quickly. They weren't wearing Jedi robes, but if Rey squinted a bit, she could imagine Finn's loose-fitting hooded jacket as a robe and she let herself smile at the thought of him joining the Jedi Order with her.

Well, not necessarily _with_ her, as his present attitude intimated would not be the case.

The outpost reminded Rey a little of Nima on Jakku, but Bendon was built more like a fort, complete with towering walls and manned turrets of retrofitted X-Wing laser canons mounted on them. Rey followed slightly behind Finn, her hand never far from her light saber hanging under her jacket at her waist.

Finn walked confidently toward the gate, ignoring the men at either side and their blasters following him. Rey felt her eyes widen as they walked into the fort and the supply became visible.

Bendon outpost was run by Jean Dor, a Cerean...businessman. During their preparations, Rey was surprised to discover she had indirectly worked for Jean Dor. Unkar Plutt sold a large portion of his scavenged goods to Jean Dor, who specialized in recovering and refurbishing weapons. He would then flip the arms for a healthy profit.

Business was good in the early days of the Empire's destruction. Imperials and Rebels alike bought weapons from Jean Dor, and he would laugh all the while, knowing it was their own weapons he sold to them. But as the final flames of the Empire were snuffed out, and the Republic brought a more peaceful regime to the galaxy, Jean Dor's volume sales dropped drastically.

Instead of big, reliable entities to do business with, the Cerean was forced to sell to small, less reputable enterprises. From gangs and mobs to factions of planets in governmental upheaval, Jean Dor sold off small loads at a time. These small sales paid the bills, but increased the number of violent, anxious, and desperate clients that Jean Dor had to deal with.

He had turned to the Hutts in the early days for protection. With their removal from Marloth, Ura-Vun Di had filled that role. The Red Nikto and his gang seldom had to step in to protect Jean Dor or the cargo, but the promise of his presence kept the crazies away.

Since Guana the Hutt's recent reappearance on Marloth, Jean Dor had sold his goods through both Guana and Ura-Vun Di. This made him feel more secure, but was but one more dispute among the rival gangs of Marloth. Finn had told Rey the tension was palpable among both gang parties whenever the other was mentioned. And Finn planned to use that against them.

They approached a small building toward the back of the fort. Rey couldn't count them, but she knew the blasters, grenades, cannons—and who knew what else—numbered in the tens of thousands in this fort. Hundreds of thousands, even, for the smaller weaponry. The crates were piled long and high, each labeled and full. Rey knew how these crates were packaged from her time on Jakku.

On the other side of the fort, Rey could see a pair of aged, modified Y-wings and an old starfighter that Rey guessed was from the clone wars. She wasn't nearly as familiar with those models as she was with the Imperial War fighters.

Rey managed to focus her wandering eyes when they entered the building at the back of the fort. The building opened with a small lobby area. An older man sat at a desk and barely glanced up at them.

"Daniel Fendor?" Rey asked the man. He nodded, but still didn't look up at them. "I called for Den Prodo about a meeting with Jean Dor."

Fendor simply nodded again towards the hallway. "He should be back there."

"Right," Rey said and shrugged at Finn, who had a slight smile on his lips at the cantankerous man's behavior. Rey missed his smile—it was a good look on him. They turned up the hallway and found a door with a slightly crooked nameplate. **_Jean Dor_**.

 Finn knocked thrice and a gravelly "come in" invited them into the office. Much like the rest of the building, the office was small and unimpressive. They weren't trying to sell themselves with their image, Rey decided. And that was quite the difference from her interactions with Anderand, and by extension the Red Nikto crime lord he served.

But even though the office was uninspired, Rey found Jean Dor to be instantly respectable. His attire didn't capture Rey's attention, but he held himself proudly. His elongated forehead was bald, but long auburn hair flowed from the back of his head and over his broad shoulders. He had piercing green eyes that exuded the wisdom necessary to run such a complicated business as this. His strong cachet was evident to Rey's eyes and through the Force. She knew instantly that no Jedi trick would work on this man.

"Den Prodo, I presume?" the man asked, hand outstretched.

"Yes sir," Finn responded and accepted the hand shake. "Thank you for meeting with me."

"I understand you are here to lose me money?" the Cerean asked, and Rey couldn't quite decide if he was joking or not.

Finn took it to be a joke, and shook his head with a wry smile. "That is my job description. But I have good news for you."

Eyebrow quirked, Jean Dor looked at Finn askance. "I doubt anything you could talk to me about would be good news."

"You aren't my cash cow in all of this," Finn responded. "The First Order's purchase is where the real money is—you're just going to get me the job."

"Go on," Jean Dor said, now more curious than skeptical.

"From what I can gather, Anderand talked you down about six percent from your original price tag. That means I need to get it down eight percent to get the job, ten percent to make a real impression."

"That's not happening!" Jean Dor stated absolutely, his curiosity replaced with impatience.

But Finn merely smiled and held his hand up. "I'm going to give you ten percent up front out of my personal account, and _you_ are going to drop the price to my future employers by that much."

Jean Dor's mouth curved into a grin, and Rey couldn't help but match it. Of course, she and Finn would be taking the new price tag back to two separate organizations, but Jean Dor, Ura-Vun Di, and Guana the Hutt didn't need to know any of that.

It was a dangerous game, but if the stars all aligned, the Resistance would be getting plenty of weapons, and a whole lot of credits to fund future expenses. And it was all coming out of the hands of criminals, who weren't coming by the credits honestly anyway.  The ten percent the Resistance had to front initially would be paid off in spades within a few standard weeks.

Documents were drawn up quickly and additional handshakes given aggressively. Rey looked over the manifest as Finn and Jean Dor worked out the details of the deal and Finn transferred the massive amount of credits. Thermal Detonators, blaster pistols and rifles, proton torpedoes, demounted ion canons, a Y-wing, light-refraction shields, force-field generators. The list went on and on, and Rey was shocked at the diversity of weaponry, ammunition, shielding and cloaking devices, and vehicles that would soon be the Resistance's. And the sheer volume of each item had Rey nearly shaking with excitement. She'd had no idea this mission was so potentially profitable.

It wasn't long before Rey and Finn left Jean Dor in a _very_ good mood. Finn, under the guise of needing a backup, had managed to get two separate contracts written up—one for Ura-Vun Di and one for Guana the Hutt.

Rey could sense Finn trying not to walk with a bounce in his step, and he did a relatively fine job concealing his excitement over getting this far with his plan. But she saw the smile he was biting back under the hood of his jacket. She recognized the quickened pace as they walked through the outpost back to the _Kismet_.

She loved seeing Finn like this—excited, happy, free of whatever thoughts had been plaguing him the last few days. It reminded her of their time together before Starkiller. He had been pretending to be someone he wasn't back then, but somehow he felt more real. Lately, she couldn't get a read on him, and she had to doubt everything he said and did. He was clearly hiding something from her.

But here, now, it felt like she was boarding the _Millennium Falcon_ with him on Jakku.

As they neared the _Kismet,_ Rey froze, and she _really_ felt like she was back on Jakku. Unkar Plutt emerged from a small cargo ship that had landed right next to the _Kismet._ There he was, the horrible man who had left her hungry so many times, plodding down the ramp of his ship, likely delivering his next shipment of scraps from Jakku.

"You alright, Rey?" Finn's voice startled her out of her thoughts. She looked over at him to see a concerned face looking back at her.

But she couldn't answer, because Unkar Plutt was walking right towards her. And he appeared to recognize her. And he looked furious.

"Girl!" he bellowed. "You stole from me!"

And he had a blaster pistol out before Rey could breath. And really, she hadn't been breathing for several seconds now. She was just a small girl on Jakku again. And she was helpless but for his rations. And no matter how much she despised the man, she needed him in order to put another tally mark on the wall of her AT-AT home. One more day survived.

"Where is my ship?" Plutt shouted, and Rey's world continued to spin. She desperately thought about all that had happened since Jakku, trying to shake herself of her insecurities and fear. But the shock of seeing such a major part of her old life left Rey reeling.

"Let's take it easy," Rey vaguely heard Finn say to her side. His hands were raised defensively. He never met Unkar Plutt, and Rey doubted he knew who this was. But he could read the situation well enough to know that not only was Rey in danger, but their cover was, too.

"Does this kid know where my ship is?" Plutt demanded, looking between Rey and Finn.

"No," Rey lied desperately, unwilling to let Finn get involved in this. "He doesn't know anything."

But Rey's good intentions were used against her. Plutt turned his blaster on Finn and fired.

Rey's vision went red as Finn fell to his left, a burning hole in his jacket where he'd been hit. Fear filled her initially, but it was replaced with fury almost immediately afterwards.

"Then we don't need him—" Plutt started to explain as he swung his blaster back to Rey. But Rey had already summoned her lightsaber from under her own jacket and the blue blade came soaring through the air at Unkar Plutt.

Rey distantly recognized that her actions were barely her own. Sure, she was the one acting, but the pull to make this man suffer was so strong. Mostly, because he had hurt, and possibly killed, Finn. But she knew his abuse of her throughout her childhood spurred her on as well.

She cut off the arm holding the blaster. It dropped to the ground as Plutt screamed in fear and pain. But she didn't stop there, and raised her blade once more. Plutt lifted his remaining arm to defend himself, and that limb quickly dropped to the ground as well.

And finally, with a sweet satisfaction Rey knew she shouldn't have, she thrust her blade into the man's massive chest. She breathed heavily, half in triumph, and half in disgust, as Unkar Plutt fell backwards to the ground.

"Rey," came a voice that instantly brought Rey out of her bloodlust. But more than the voice, she _felt_ him all around her, and she latched onto his presence and clung to the Light there. She swiveled around to find Finn getting to his feet. He didn't appear to be in pain, but he looked at Rey with such absolute concern that her heart lurched. His eyes searched hers, and she felt him feeling around her with the Force, for the first time since that night in their hotel room. "Rey, are you okay?"

But Rey was too relieved about Finn's safety to consider her own well-being. His loose jacket had a still-smoking hole burned into it, but it appeared the blast missed Finn's body by inches and went right out the back of his jacket. She threw herself at him and hugged him fiercely.

His arms wrapped around her and the tension, fear, and anger left her in an instant. She felt him through the Force, as well, still surrounding her, comforting her. His presence was calming and safe. And once again, she felt like she was home—as much as she understood the word, anyway.

"You're okay," she mumbled into his neck and squeezed him even tighter.

"So are you, Rey," he said, relief in his voice evident. But there was still an underlying concern there. And Rey tried not to think about why.

-0-0-0-

Finn marched toward his and Rey's hotel room with some apprehension. He needed to talk to her about what had happened. He just didn't know how. He didn't know _what_ had happened.

Finn knew he'd been saved by the Force. His reflexes were fast, but he'd known that blast was coming before Plutt had even turned the blaster on him. He'd gotten out of the way just in time, and the extra time needed came from the Force.

But Finn _also_ knew that what Rey had done was the Force as well, and it terrified him. That something so life-saving could also consume a person to do evil things.

Finn didn't believe that Rey killing Plutt was evil, of course. The man had tried to kill him, and Rey's reaction was well within reason. But the feelings Finn felt through the Force told him that Rey was not completely in control of her actions. Had she been in complete control, she might've stopped after lopping off the deviant's first arm. But she kept going, and the fury and vengeance in her heart scared Finn. Her anger had dictated her actions completely, and that wasn't the Rey that Finn knew.

That Finn's near-death had been the cause had an odd, contradictory effect on him. Could he really be simultaneously flattered and afraid that he caused such a response in someone?

They'd flown into the badlands of Marloth and gave Plutt a proper burial. Finn had felt a little strange throwing two arms into the grave after they'd lowered the body in. He would've felt bad about the man's demise, but Rey had told him Plutt had no family. He had no friends. He had only enemies who'd be chomping at the bit to profit off of his disappearance. But Finn could tell that Rey was shaken by her actions. She had told Finn all of that for her own sake as much as his.

So when the two entered their hotel room, Finn decided he couldn't delay the conversation any longer.

"What did I feel back there, Rey?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't make him explain.

She sighed, and knew precisely what he was talking about. "That was the Dark Side, Finn."

An appropriate name, to be sure. It had almost been like a baleful fog had surrounded her. Not a visible one, of course. But he had reached out in the Force to call her attention, and it had been so very different from the first time he had touched her in the Force.

It was several days ago, but the memory still haunted Finn. She was...perfect. She'd invaded his senses, elevated his emotions to a level he hadn't known possible. The feeling had even been oddly arousing, and it had scared him. She had left him in the past, though, and he didn't want to let himself fall even further for her. He couldn't trust her. So he retreated from her, refused to go near her again. As a Stormtrooper, he'd learned how to put on a mask, figuratively as well as literally. So he focused on his mission, removed his feelings from the situation, so he wouldn't be tempted to feel her delightful presence again.

Until today, when he sensed none of that pure joy in her again. She had almost _drained_ him of his energy and all of the excitement of their successful mission with Jean Dor. He was happy to give, of course, and she quickly got back to normal. But even so, it was scary and unpleasant.

"I didn't know a Jedi could tap into that," Finn said softly.

"I shouldn't have," Rey said, and she looked away from him. "It's the second time I've felt it, calling to me."

"Kylo Ren?" Finn guessed.

She nodded. "I almost killed him—I hated him for hurting me, you, and killing Han. Luckily for me the planet split and spared him."

"Lucky for you?" Finn asked with a smirk, hoping to lighten the mood a little. "More like lucky for him."

Rey shook her head, and moved over to the bed to sit down. "Coming back from the Dark Side is not easy, Finn. If I'd killed Ren, I don't know who I would be today."

"But you came back today," Finn said softly, and sat next to her on the bed.

"Because of you. You brought me back. Helped me see truth again." Her eyes were moist. "I don't know what I would have done if you'd gotten hurt, Finn."

Finn wasn't proud of himself, but his pent up frustration and hurt came out in a biting comment. He softened the tone of the remark in the guise of a joke, but he knew his true intent was to hurt her like she'd hurt him. "Hey, you could always just run off to Luke for six months while I healed again."

The pain and tears in her eyes told Finn he'd succeeded. He immediately regretted saying it. He didn't know what to do—should he pull her into a hug after hurting her like that? "Rey, I didn't mean...I was just...I'm sorry."

She shook her head and her voice strained. "No, you're right. I was a terrible friend. After everything you did for me, I just left you. And for what? For Luke to tell me how dangerous I was? To spend months trying to get me to forget the bitterness in my heart and forgive my family for leaving me?"

Finn's heart sunk. Everything was starting to piece together. If he hadn't felt the Darkness in Rey today, he might not understand.

It wasn't Rey or Leia who had sent Rey away to train with Luke. It was the Force, it was her destiny, sure. And before, Finn hated the Force for that. He hated destiny for taking his friend away. And he blamed Rey for giving in. Now he understood that it was vital she go, because the Dark was beckoning and the Light was her only escape. While Finn had been moping over a friend being away, Rey was fighting for her soul. He was so selfish.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and puller her to him. "Rey, I'm so sorry. I've been so focused on myself, I didn't stop to think what you've been going through all this time. You must have been so afraid of this power in you."

She sniffled and nodded her head before burying it into Finn's neck and wrapping her own arms around him. Once more, Finn felt himself being drained as he supported Rey. But he would have it no other way.

"Luke has helped me—said he's fought the Dark ever since he learned Vader was his father. It calls to us, tempts us even if it disgusts us. He helped me create an anchor in the Light, something I could lean on when the power was too much to ignore."

"An anchor?" Finn asked softly.

"A feeling—a memory. Of belonging. For the first time in my life." Rey pulled back from their embrace to look Finn in the eyes. "I thought that the belonging extended to the Resistance and Luke—but after losing it so quickly when I thought you'd been killed, I think you're my anchor, Finn."

A tremendous weight fell on Finn's shoulders in an instant, his heart heavy with responsibility. But this was a load he would bear gladly. "Rey," he started, voice steady. "I've been a real nerf herder since you got back. I'm sorry. But I need you to know I'll always be here for you when you need me. Even if I die, you should know you belong. You'll always belong here, in my arms."

Tears filled Rey's eyes and ran down her cheeks as she looked deep into Finn's eyes. Then she reached out with the Force, a test of his devotion. He readily let her in. There may be some feelings he had for her that he didn't want her to sense, but he needed her to know he wasn't lying. He was going to be here for her.

This was the third time they'd connected in the Force. The first had been exhilarating and intoxicating. The second had been desperate and draining. But now, it was calm, peaceful. Rey a seeker of home, and Finn the provider. A serene gaze passed over Rey's face as the Force flowed though them both. Rey didn't go rooting through his mind, as he trusted her not to. Instead, he brought all the necessary thoughts and feelings to her.

A slow smile spread across her lips, and her eyes grew tired. No doubt, the day's events had worn her out. "Thank you, Finn," she managed softly. "Stay with me tonight?"

Finn smiled back at her. "Of course."

And they lay back in the bed, getting under the blankets and slowly positioning themselves. Gradually, Finn moved behind Rey and put his hand around her middle, and she pressed her back against his front. They stayed lightly connected in the Force, and Finn couldn't remember a time he was more content in his life. In the back of his mind, he was a little confused about what his relationship with Rey was exactly. But for now, he needed to be there for her, and he was happy to do so.

They drifted into a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a key chapter for me when I thought through this story. Rey needed a reason for leaving Finn that he couldn't understand until he felt it. And when I watched TFA again and that awesome climactic battle between Rey and Ren, I just saw the anger on Rey's face, and thought, "She's a great person, but there's an opening for Darkness right there." I don't know if that was the intent, or if the following scenes implied any sort of internal battle Rey was experiencing with the Dark. But it just fit for how I wanted this story and Finn's relationship with her to go. Hope it doesn't rub anyone the wrong way.
> 
> For the record, I don't think Rey is Dark at all so far--but there's the potential. Just like with Luke in Jedi.


	5. Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the last chapter was the most important to date, this was the most fun. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter V: Tension

 

Rey woke up before Finn did, and she had to admit she was grateful for it. She was sure that if Finn had woken up before her, he'd have taken his hand off her stomach and disentangled their legs before she could truly soak in the moment.

Rey had never experienced something like this. Being in another person's arms. In fact, Finn had been the first person she could ever remember hugging—and that was nothing compared to the safety and peace of waking up in his arms, his body running along hers from top to bottom. He was warm and strong against her, and though she'd never _need_ someone in this capacity, it sure was nice.

So she was relieved that she'd emerged from their slumber first to have this new experience. She couldn't be certain without knowing where his other hand was, but Rey had a suspicion the thing she felt against her backside was _not_ something Finn would have let her feel, had he woken before her.

Rey was immensely grateful for the imperial records she had studied repeatedly during her time on Jakku. Between the mandatory sexual education given to cadets and various human resource records (with accompanying videos of improper sexual encounters between members of the Imperial military), Rey had learned all she needed to in order to know that what she was feeling was no fault of Finn's.

She also knew enough to have a surge of curiosity and... _heat_...course through her, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like. With Finn. She could feel his breath against her neck, and could very easily imagine it to be a sensual action. If his hand went north or south just _inches_ , she'd be feeling things that she'd never felt from another person.

Rey shook her head gently to rid herself of these thoughts. It wouldn't do well to become aroused more than she already was. As reluctant as she was, Rey gently extracted herself from Finn's grasp. She heard a soft sound of disappointment come from his sleeping mouth, and Rey smiled to herself.

She quickly made her way to the 'fresher, and started to get ready for the day. Hopping in the shower, Rey let the water run over her as she reflected on the day prior. She'd given in so quickly, so strongly to the Dark Side. It had consumed her in her anger and terror over losing Finn. She'd been training with Luke for _months_ to prevent something like that from happening. But all the while she was creating an anchor in the Light, she never fully admitted to herself that her anchor was Finn.

Luke had taught her that to stay in the Light amidst temptation, she would need a reason—a purpose—more powerful than anything the Dark Side had to offer. She'd like to think her altruism would be good enough. And maybe it would be for the majority of temptations.

But she'd felt the pull before. Kylo Ren had been right there, defeated. She could make him pay for killing the first man who respected her. The first man whom _she_ respected. Han Solo's death had shaken Rey more than she'd thought possible.

Her altruism hadn't saved Kylo Ren in that moment, and it hadn't saved her from the Dark Side either. She'd been lucky, or the Force intervened. Either way, she'd been given a chance to root herself in the Light more carefully. Unfortunately, for all the care she'd taken, she'd just anchored herself to another thing that could be taken from her in a heartbeat. Or another person, rather.

Her whole life she'd been yearning for her family. She was a lonely girl who didn't _belong_ anywhere. Or with anyone. And one day, a boy showed up, and he and his jacket took her off of the planet she didn't belong on and into a world she was destined for. She was meant for _the fight,_ as Maz had put it.

And she decided to anchor herself to that destiny, to the world she finally belonged in. To the Resistance, to Luke, to the Jedi. And yes, to Finn as well. But what she hadn't realized until yesterday was that the feeling of belonging she used was _only_ to Finn.

He'd come back for her. It was his idea.

He was on his way to the Outer Rim when she last saw him. "I'm never going back," he'd said to her in Maz's castle before asking her to leave with him. On Starkiller, she'd thought of him, during her escape. She was relieved that at least _he'd_ gotten away from the terrible First Order. And then he went ahead and came _back_ for her. For _her!_

Nobody came back for her and Rey didn't belong with anyone. Until Finn.

And so while she trained with Luke, she told herself and her master that she was anchored to the Light through her new sense of belonging and destiny. But at the end of the day, Finn was the stake that held her to the Light. And when he'd gone—or she thought he'd gone—Rey lost her footing like an infant tree in a whirlwind.

Rey finished her shower and dried off with a towel before wrapping it around herself and entering the main room. Finn was sitting on the now-made bed, still in the pants and shirt he'd slept in. He looked well-rested, and relatively happy, but there was a near-panicked look on his face when he saw her.

He hadn't yet closed off their connection in the Force, and Rey got hit with a wave of desire from him before he quickly reeled in his emotions and dampened how much he let her feel. But Rey still saw it in his eyes as he looked at her face, and glanced down occasionally at her partially covered body. She was extremely flattered by his wandering eyes, and more than a little excited that he was feeling the same things that she had been thinking about just minutes ago.

"Morning," Finn said after the silence stretched on for far too long. His voice was low and a little hoarse. Rey felt her breathing grow a little more shallow. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Best I've slept in..." Rey hesitated, thinking for a moment. "Well, ever, maybe."

A beautiful smile formed on Finn's face, and Rey sensed some anxiety fade from him. "Good. You deserve it."

Rey smiled back at him, and they joined in another staring match. It went on a little too long again, and Rey started to feel just a little exposed now.

"Right," Finn cleared his throat and stood up. "I'll just...to the 'fresher, then."

"Yeah," Rey said, but didn't bother to move much so that Finn would have to step _right_ by her to get through the door. He brushed her arm on the way in, and that little bit of contact sent a chill through her body.

Rey sighed and wondered if she'd be able to keep control of herself for the remainder of the mission.

A few hours later, Rey was relieved to find that she could focus when they were working. Finn hadn't entered her mind so forcefully to displace her duty and their mission. However, in the quiet moments—on the transport to Guana the Hutt's section of town or sitting outside her private lounge, waiting for their meeting—the tension was thick.

Rey wondered a little bit if only _she_ felt it. But his furtive yet somehow lingering glances suggested he had a lot going on in his mind, too. And he always seemed to be touching her, his hand on the small of her back as he led her down the narrow streets of Mos Venda. The way he grabbed her forearm as he leaned over to whisper something. His lips brushing against her ear while he whispered. Though, in his defense, Rey might have leaned into that whisper a bit more than necessary.

But like her, when the lights came on, Finn was focused. 'Den Prodo' the master negotiator made Guana the Hutt a _very_ happy mob boss. Rey's Huttese wasn't great, and Finn's wasn't any better despite his intensive study for the past few months. But even without the translator, the two of them knew that Guana was giving them the job. She and Finn would soon be meeting with a First Order officer to negotiate the price of the weapons delivery.

Finn graciously accepted the job offer and received the contact information of the officer from Guana's Dathomiri assistant. Throwing Rey a grin, Finn grabbed her hand and led her out of the building. She felt the excitement of another success bubbling off of him. She felt it, too—and it only had a _little_ bit to do with her hand being in his once more.

But then a sudden panic swept through Finn that caused Rey to look up at him as they exited the building. "Anderand is here," Finn whispered frantically, looking down the street.

Rey whipped her head around and saw the Twi'Lek walking right towards them. He was wearing a hooded robe to conceal himself, but there was no doubt it was him. Ura-Vun Di's right hand man was in the Hutt territory? Rey nearly panicked that he was coming for them. But he was looking along the canyon walls, searching for a sign or entrance to his destination. He hadn't seen them, but Rey knew it was only a matter of time. There was no place to hide in the streets of Mos Venda.

But then Finn grabbed Rey around the waist and spun her around and pinned her against the wall adjacent to the door they'd just come out of. For just a moment, she looked up at him in shock, and he stared back at her with an unreadable expression. Then he leaned in and kissed her hard.

Rey had never kissed someone before. She doubted she was very good at it. And later she'd reflect on Finn's probable inexperience as well. Nonetheless, the kiss was electric. It took Rey only a moment to kiss him back. After all, she'd been thinking about doing this for days. Well, if she were honest, she'd been thinking about it for months.

Finn still held her at her waist, and as his lips moved against hers, Rey reached up and held his face. Maybe subconsciously, she hoped to cover them a little more from Anderand's view. But really, she just wanted to pull Finn closer to her. She had nearly forgotten their predicament as Finn ran his tongue along her lips and Rey opened them slightly for him.

Vaguely, she heard the door next to them open and close, and Finn pulled back just inches from her. "I don't think he saw us," he said, his breath on her lips. Rey looked to his eyes, and saw that they were focused on her lips still. His grip on her hips was tight, like he was afraid to let go.

"Right," Rey said. While she _knew_ that's why Finn was kissing her, she'd still rather not have heard it said aloud. "How did you know that would work?"

Finn finally looked up to her eyes, but he stayed right where he was without backing up. "I've done a lot of people-watching since joining the Resistance," he said, voice still quiet. "But it was always my natural instinct to look away from a display of...intimacy."

Rey nodded slightly. She didn't know that _she_ would react that way. She'd probably be too curious to look away. But then a thought struck her. "Finn, Anderand knows we were going to meet with Guana. Why couldn't we let him see us?"

Finn opened his mouth to respond, but then slowly closed it with a frown. A smile came to Rey's face at Finn's reaction. He soon smiled back at her. "Maybe I just wanted an excuse to kiss you," he said teasingly, and he finally backed up with a wink.

A giggle escaped Rey's lips before she could stop it, even as she missed his body pressing against her. "Who said you needed an excuse?" Rey replied with a quirked eyebrow.

Finn's smile dropped and his eyes grew a shade darker. He looked like he wanted to step forward and kiss her again. Rey wouldn't mind. But then he looked at the door to Guana's base of operations. "Whether he can notice us or not," Finn said, jumping back to their old conversation. "That doesn't change the fact that _he_ shouldn't be here."

And with that, Finn led her right back into Guana's hideout, his hand once more conspicuously on her lower back to guide her.

-0-0-0-

Finn checked his watch one more time. He really needed something to happen; otherwise, he might just go crazy with Rey being so close. He couldn't focus. He just kept thinking about the feel of her lips. The feel of her body against his. The quirk of her smile when she'd told him he didn't need an excuse to kiss her.

Finn knew he should be focused on Anderand. He shouldn't be thinking about whether she was joking or not. Finn wasn't necessarily joking when he said he wanted an excuse to kiss her. But maybe Rey thought he was. And maybe—

Finn shook his head for what felt like the tenth time in the past hour as they waited for Anderand to come out of Guana's lounge. He was desperate to distract himself from Rey, who sat next to him alternating between avoiding his eyes and then staring at him. So he asked himself the same questions he'd already pondered to death.

What was Anderand doing here? Was he on to their game? Was he a part of a different game, perhaps switching gangs?

But Finn had no answers, and so he instead thought of Rey. She seemed to have liked the kiss as much as him. And Finn wasn't the greatest at reading romantic signs, but even he'd noticed the unnecessary (but appreciated) small touches. The glances when she thought he wasn't looking. The small smiles.

And then there was the Force, which Finn was so new to, he couldn't be sure of anything he felt through it. But when he felt her, there was a sense of longing. Of course, for all Finn knew, he was just projecting that feeling, and it wasn't hers as all.

And so he was left wondering, frustrated and excited about the situation at the same time.

But at last, the lounge doors opened, and Finn's thoughts flittered away in an instant. At the very least, he could prioritize.

Anderand emerged alone, took two steps and froze, seeing them. Caught in the act. What act, Finn did not yet know. But Anderand looked nervous to be seen here by the pair of them.

"Anderand?" Finn prompted. "I've got to ask. Are you going to compromise my job?"

The Twi'Lek narrowed his eyes at Finn before looking at Rey suspiciously as well. "Let's talk," he said after a long pause. "But not here."

"Lead the way," Finn said. He didn't think Anderand would want to be seen traveling with the two of them, but he wasn't about to let the man out of his sight. Anderand seemed to know this would be the case and he drew his hood before heading to the exit.

Finn and Rey followed closely behind him, giving each other curious glances occasionally. He led them down the street some ways before entering a club. It was daytime, so Finn was a little confused at the locale choice. But it became readily apparent that Anderand wasn't here to partake in the club's activities.

"Renda," he nodded to the bartender as they entered. The woman nodded back at him. "We'll just be a few minutes in the back."

"Of course," she replied, and soon Finn and Rey were led into the back room. In the center of the room was a large table that Finn had to assume was for card playing. But the room was empty, and Anderand motioned for them to sit.

"I've seen you two play sabaac," Anderand started, and Finn was momentarily confused that he _was_ sitting them down to actually play cards. "So I'm not going to try and banthashit you, here."

He sat down with a sigh and looked at Finn and Rey each in turn. "I think you two are up to something." Finn made to argue, but was silenced before he could get started. "But I am, too. And I think we can help each other."

Despite his claim that he was being honest and transparent, Finn couldn't help but be concerned that the Twi'Lek was playing them. Perhaps he _did_ suspect them of doing something dishonest, and was merely coaxing them to admit guilt by claiming his own.

"What are you up to?" Finn asked, giving nothing away about his own situation.

Anderand smiled wryly at him, knowing full-well Finn wouldn't be giving anything away. "You two did a good job with your credentials," he said instead of answering the question. "But in a way, it was _too_ good of a job. You have a very clear background, stories that check out with the right people. People in our business aren't that easy to trace, or they're usually dead. "

Finn quirked his eyebrow. "I need to be clean to give my clients the trust they need, Anderand."

"Den Prodo," he replied. "If that is your real name. I _don't_ trust you."

Finn sat back in his seat. They seemed to be at a standstill, here.

"Maybe you shouldn't," Rey said as she leaned forward. "After all, we know your employer, and we know you were visiting his enemy today on secret and safe terms." Finn grinned at her tactic.

"And I know that you gave a signed quotation from Jean Dor to Guana. And I have to assume you would be giving me one tomorrow morning if not for our little encounter today."

Finn nodded. "You were well aware of our intentions of using Guana to raise our price tag with you."

"A _signed_ quotation, Den," Anderand repeated. "That means she can make the purchase. And I assume you are expecting her to. As well as my crew."

Finn's heart sunk. He had not counted on the higher-ups of both gangs sharing information. In fact, there was no way this should be happening. "Alright. Worst case scenario here is that we turn each other in and Kaira and I change our names and start fresh. We're good at what we do; we'll land on our feet. You, on the other hand, will be hunted for treason for the rest of your life. And Ura-Vun Di doesn't play nice. He will use all of his means to—"

"I know what he'd do!" Anderand snapped, and Finn shut his mouth. He understood how Anderand had risen through the gang's ranks so easily. The power demonstrated in his voice was frightening. He calmed himself. "Myla and I are ready to start a family. We're both fine in this environment, but it is no place to raise a child, especially with the impending gang war. Why do you think I want out? I've been playing both sides for a couple of months now, waiting for my opportunity to get out. And I think I've finally found it with you two. That's why I want us to work together, instead."

"Is this only because we caught you?" Rey asked, rather unaffected by his outburst.

He shook his head. "I've had my suspicions about you two. I was just going to wait until I had the proof before I blackmailed you. This job seems like it will pay handsomely. Enough to live a comfortable family life with"

Finn nodded. "Well we've got equal blackmail now. Don't expect to take us for everything we've got."

"No, but you're going to need me. You've been sloppy by assuming no one is on to your game. What was your plan, anyway?"

Finn narrowed his eyes, still not convinced he could be revealing this to a man he had no real reason to trust. But the Force gathered around him positively. He decided to trust it. "We were going to stage a theft from each of your gangs," Finn responded. "Both gangs will believe they bought the weapons, and both will think the other took the weapons."

Anderand pondered this. "That might've worked. But it would have only bought you a few days. You may have fake names, but you'd have two gangs chasing your faces across the galaxy until you died. No, this needs to be more permanent. This can't be based on hearsay, but actual evidence."

Finn frowned. He'd like to think they could have pulled it off. But Anderand was probably right. At some point it would have become clear to each gang that the other organization didn't have the weapons. And then they'd have put their differences aside to find the real culprit.

The galaxy was big, but if Guana and Ura-Vun Di were trying, Finn and Rey could probably be found. Especially if they wanted a future in the Resistance, where they might be front and center in the galaxy's awareness.

"You have any better ideas?" Finn asked without malice.

Anderand shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't have enough information to be able to supply any aid."

Finn looked over to Rey and she smiled grimly at him. They connected in the Force to communicate without giving anything to Anderand. He felt disappointment but opportunity. She felt the same as him—they could use Anderand, if not trust him. They had a mutual goal, now.

So Finn turned back to Anderand and nodded. "I'll tell you what we've got cooking, and you can help us. And you were right," Finn added, careful to appeal to Anderand's true reason for being here. "The payday can be big."

So Finn told him about how he paid Jean Dor to lower the price of his shipment. That he'd managed to get two contracts signed for both Guana and Uru-Vun Di's gangs. That all the credits from one of those gangs would be going right into his own account. He gave Anderand a manifest of the cargo to look over, and told him about the First Order officer he'd be meeting with in the coming week.

Finn was careful to omit their role in the Resistance, and his former role in the First Order. There was no need to give any personal details that might reveal who they really were.

After several minutes of questions and clarification, Anderand nodded. "Let's meet at our planned time tomorrow," he said. "I'll think this over, and you two do the same. Then we can come together to come up with a good plan and terms that we both agree on."

Finn looked to Rey again. "That sounds good," she replied. "We'll see you tomorrow, then."

And they stood, shook hands, and left.

Finn's mind buzzed on the transport back to their hotel room. He'd wanted a distraction from Rey, and he'd gotten it. Even so, he was happy to have her pressed up against his side. Any physical contact with her just gave him a contented feeling; and after their meeting with Anderand, he could use the calming influence she had on him.

They arrived back at the hotel room, and Finn felt strange about the evening. "On the one hand, this is kind of good news, right?"

Rey wandered over to her bed and sat down. She looked back up at Finn and shrugged. "I mean, he told us our original plan wouldn't have worked, which is a bit of a let-down. But, now we've got a second wind, don't we?"

Finn nodded. "That's right. We just need to come up with a new plan. We can do that." He started pacing, his mind buzzing with random thoughts and ideas. The problem was he was so wired that none of these ideas formulated into plans.

"Finn," Rey said softly, and he looked up at her sharply. "Take a breath. We've got several hours. And we don't even need a perfect plan. Just some ideas. Now, come here." She patted the bed next to where she was sitting.

Finn walked over to her and she hopped up near the pillows and motioned for him to join her on top of the bed, as they had the first night she taught him about the Force. He slowly pulled off his shoes, his nerves building. Last time he had meditated like this, he'd felt raw and exposed to her. She hadn't taken advantage of course, but it had still been terrifying.

He settled at the foot of the bed, facing Rey and a smile came to his face as the two looked at each other. It may have been terrifying, but it had also been all kinds of wonderful. It felt electric and sensual; it felt like home.

They reached out in the Force again, allowing the cosmic power to surround them once more. Finn eyed Rey as she closed her eyes, and saw peace cover her features. But Finn didn't feel peace. He felt...desire. He'd held her all night last night. She'd been there in his arms right here on this bed.

She fell asleep before him. And he had marveled that she trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms. So naturally, he had done nothing to betray that trust. But that didn't mean he hadn't _thought_ about things he wished he could do with her. He was in bed with the girl he had been dreaming about for six months; how could he _not_ think about it?

And now, he was here again, and her presence was almost suffocating. He reflected on their kiss, and how right it felt, even if it was fake. It wasn't fake to him. Her actual lips had been on his. And now he wanted it again. She even said he could. That he didn't need an excuse. If it wasn't a joke.

What would she do right now, Finn wondered, if he crawled up the bed and kissed her. Would she kiss back? Would she lay back and let him kiss down her face and neck? Would things progress even further than that?

Feeling her in the Force was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It was like a new sense. He had seen her beautiful face, smiling at him. He could hear her soft breaths, her sweet voice. He'd felt her before in his arms, her skin under his fingertips, even on his lips. He could smell her, and the very natural scent that he somehow associated with the sun, and now _home_. He'd tasted her earlier today; and that had been a new and wonderful experience. All five senses he'd lived with her.

But now, here he was experiencing her through the Force, and he didn't know how to describe it. She felt like he had taken in just a little extra oxygen when breathing. Like the tingle on his neck when he brushed up against a plant leaf on D'Qar. Like the chill he received when Poe had introduced music to him. But even those descriptions held physical meaning. This was just her, and it was so full of life and excitement and desire, he couldn't help the smile on his face.

Finn's body hummed with heat, but now he started to feel _her_ emotions in _him_. She must have felt his. Her eyes shot open as a swell of desire came right back at him. She looked at him almost hungrily, and Finn liked that look very much.

Then she looked away and closed her eyes. "Finn," she said, a little short of breath. "This is great and all, but you need to let the Force guide you right now, not the other way."

Finn let out a long breath he hadn't known he was holding. He didn't feel rejected. On the contrary, through both her words and the Force, Finn knew that Rey was feeling and enjoying the exact same thing as him. But she had the restraint to prioritize. Something Finn had prided himself on just an hour ago while waiting for Anderand.

"Right," he said, his voice coming out low and a little hoarse. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Rey said, her patience evident as she finally looked back at him. The hunger was gone, even if the longing in her eyes was still apparent. "You're new to this. Clear your mind," she continued. "Feel only the Force. Don't focus...on me, or you. Feel the people in the hotel, the canyon outside, the planet spinning."

He did. He reached past her, no matter how tempting it was to remain in their own little world. He was getting better at feeling just the Force that surrounded him. It wasn't just in the living things, but as Rey said: the rocks, the walls, the planet itself. It shimmered in the air he breathed, and it came into his mind.

If feeling Rey _through_ the Force was exciting and sensual, feeling only the Force was peaceful and hopeful. His body relaxed from its previously heightened and slightly aroused state. His mind cleared of the distraction of Rey. His breathing regulated, and Finn was truly content.

"Great job," he heard Rey compliment, sounding almost a far ways off. "Now that you're ready to hear the Force, think on your problem."

Finn thought about Anderand and the new angles of their heist. He'd never been able to think so clearly in his life. Every detail laid out before him like someone had carefully, meticulously outlined the whole situation, highlighting the important parts and fading the inconsequential into the background.

Ideas that Finn previously thought were unrelated filtered into his mind, connecting into place with ease. He even started to see images, however faint, supplied as his plan began to form. He doubted he was seeing the future, so much as physical representations of his thoughts. He saw how his future conversations with Guana and Jean Dor would go. He saw the meeting with the First Order, and the subsequent dealings for their sale. And finally he saw Han Solo's old freighter, drifting in space, full of rathtars.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to find Rey beaming at him. He wondered if she had been there the whole time. If it hadn't just been _his_ mind, but hers, too. And that made a lot of sense, almost as though they had shared the space between them and let the Force pull from their minds as it willed.

"I think we need to take a trip back to the Western Reaches," Rey said, answering his unasked question. She saw everything he had.

Finn smiled. "It's time we reclaim the Eravana. Solo would be proud."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. Tropes. The old kiss-to-avoid-being-seen cliche. I'm sorry. But I'm not! I am who I am, and I love it. So deal with it. Or just love it, yourself. That's the best way to deal with it. 
> 
> Anyway, I don't want you to focus on just that part of the story. I also tried to flesh out Finn and Rey's thoughts, past, motivations, etc. So, let's just move past the trope I simply could not stay away from, and I think we'll all be a bit happier. Let me know what you thought!


	6. Eravana

Chapter VI: Eravana

 

The _Kismet_ docked on the Gozanti-class First Order freighter with a _clunk_ that rang throughout the small ship. Finn raised his eyebrows at Rey sitting next to him. "Ready?"

She flashed him a bright smile. She exuded confidence. Finn really liked that about this girl. He instantly felt better about the situation, and smiled in return.

Just that morning, Finn and Rey had met with Anderand and discussed their plan. Well, they discussed the plan that Anderand needed to know. And he helped them come up with a nice contract for the First Order to look over. Anderand was very excited about their escape plan and the amount of credits they could be rolling in by the end of this dangerous game.

They had not told Anderand about the second part of the plan, and how they would be spending their day after this meeting.

Finn and Rey stood and walked to the docking port, which opened up to reveal a pair of Stormtroopers flanking an officer.

Finn felt an odd panic flow through him. Would they recognize him?

The Resistance had it on good authority that the First Order was not circulating his image and story. Kylo Ren thought he'd killed him on Starkiller Base, so there was no reason to tell the rest of the military about the Stormtrooper that defected. There was no need to give anyone else the idea that successfully defecting was a possibility.

Finn couldn't help but wonder if First Order spies had revealed that he had survived. Whether that was the case or not, there was no intel to suggest that Finn was a wanted man in the First Order military, so long as the ship he boarded didn't contain Kylo Ren or Captain Phasma.

But the panic of his potential discovery faded fast as the officer greeted him. "Den Prodo?" the stout man probed.

"Yes sir," Finn replied, almost falling back into his old patterns. Fortunately, that was not an unusual thing for Den Prodo to say either.

But a second panic filled Finn as the officer introduced himself and asked them to follow him. They walked down the freighter corridors, and while Finn had never been on a Gozanti freighter, the architecture was all the same with its black and angled walls with only the occasion dash of ordered red and stagnated lighting.

Finn felt his eyes darting around, memories of a life—just six months ago—flashing in his mind at every turn. It felt like it was someone else's memories. The promising yet underachieving FN-2187. Not the man he was today, hero of the Resistance, potential pilot or Jedi, Finn. A hand wrapped around Finn's, and he looked to see Rey's soothing eyes and reassuring smile. A wave of calm swept over him.

FN-2187 never had someone like Rey. Finn _was_ a different man, now, and there was no reason to be concerned with the life of FN-2187.

They were led to the captain's bridge, where Captain Ponzaa awaited them. Again, Finn held his breath as he made eye contact with the brunette woman in her mid-forties. If anyone would recognize him, it would be the captain.

But she merely gave a forced smile and introduced herself. "Jeem Ponzaa, Captain of the _Acribis_ freighter."

"Den Prodo," Finn replied and motioned to Rey. "And this is Kaira Gan. We have been hired by Anderand to represent his party."

"Yes," Ponzaa replied and lifted her nose at him. "He messaged me earlier that he had hired a professional. I have a very strict budget from my superiors, and I don't know what you hope to achieve."

"Then we'll be careful not to go over your budget," Finn replied easily. "And hope that that budget is larger than that of the Resistance."

Ponzaa narrowed her eyes. "The Resistance funding has dropped drastically with the fall of the Republic. And Anderand promised the weapons to me."

"He did no such thing," Finn countered. "And if he gave off that impression, you have your reason for why I was hired. Captain, I am not here to make this deal more difficult. I simply want my employers to get what they need out of this deal."

"And what is it they need?" Ponzaa gritted out.

Finn motioned to Rey and she pulled out a lengthy contract on a datapad. "Shall we sit down to discuss their terms?"

The three sat down and immediately set to work dissecting the agreement. The terms had been decided by Finn, Rey, and Anderand during their meeting to discuss the plan. They put into the deal plenty of wiggle room so that the most important conditions would be met. The captain, Finn, and Rey went item by item through the manifesto, arguing over each price and discussing insurance over each refurbished weapon and shield.

Ultimately, the most important part of the deal was that the First Order pay entirely up front. This would allow Finn to give about thirty percent to both Guana the Hutt and Ura-Vun Di, without either becoming suspicious that the deal was being manipulated. Thirty percent was fairly standard in a deal such as this, if perhaps on the low side.

"I'm sure you understand my hesitation to pay in full before the cargo has left Marloth," Ponzaa complained as they reached that portion of the agreement.

Finn nodded. "I understand completely. But you must know what it is like from our perspective. Once you have the weapons, we hold _no_ leverage that you pay in full. You, on the other hand, have an armada to come and enforce action should we not fulfill our end of the deal."

"We will need to do an inspection of the cargo before loading," Ponzaa responded. "And I demand a ten percent decrease in the price."

"Five," Finn said, knowing full-well they would have to drop the overall price for this caveat to be included. "And Anderand and I will personally come aboard the _Acribis_ during the loading and departure to ensure everything goes well. And if it does not, we are yours to fix the problem.

Ponzaa looked at the numbers a moment longer. That five percent got her closer to what she had expected to pay. "Eight percent."

Finn thought it over and nodded. He made the adjustment to the contract. Ponzaa took a deep breath before reaching over and signing the agreement with her fingerprint.

"In two standard days, we'll see you in the Valley of Candun, then." Finn stood up and shook on the agreement one last time.

"We will inspect the cargo, you will receive payment, and then we will load it."

And like that, the meeting was done. Finn and Rey were escorted to their ship, and the sense of relief and accomplishment were overwhelming. They sat down in their seats, undocked, and pulled away from the _Acribis_.

"You've got the coordinates?" Finn asked Rey.

"Chewie sent them to me from the _Falcon_ 's memory banks this morning," Rey responded, hitting the numbers into the front panel.

"Punch it when you're ready," Finn said, directing his ship toward the Western Reaches.

And the _Kismet_ burst into hyperspace, the galaxy zooming past on all sides.

The pair sat in silence for just a moment before slowly looking at each other. Finn felt the smile creep onto his face just as he saw Rey's smile emerge on hers. They both began to laugh excitedly at the same time.

"It's really happening, isn't it?" Finn asked rhetorically.

Rey answered anyway. "I can't tell you how nervous I was they would recognize us."

Finn grinned, "We are kind of a big deal, aren't we?"

Rey laughed. "I suppose any image of me blew up with Starkiller. And to their knowledge, so did you."

The mention of Starkiller made Finn reflect on Rey's battle with Kylo Ren, and by extension, the Dark Side. So much had happened since her recent encounter with that part of the Force that they hadn't talked about it since the night they fell asleep together. It had only been about a standard day since then, really, but to Finn it felt like weeks.

Anderand really threw off their plans, and having to revamp their entire strategy kept them from discussing it. Not to mention their kiss and the indelible tension between them for the past day.

But now, they had hours of hyperspace travel to sit and talk. This wasn't the _Millennium Falcon_ , where one could escape to another room. On the _Kismet_ , the cockpit was just about the only place to be.

"Rey," Finn started, before trailing off.

Silence hung in the air as Rey looked over at him, and he tried to find the right words. After nearly a minute of silence, Rey finally spoke up with a smirk. "Yes, Finn?"

He smiled at her. "I don't really know how to say this..."

After trailing off shortly again, Rey laughed. "I couldn't tell," she replied in monotone. "Come on, Finn. It's me."

"Yeah, it's you." Finn sighed. And saying it out loud made Finn realize just how far they'd come since arriving on Marloth. It _was_ Rey, and he trusted her again; he felt close to her again; he was comfortable again. "I just want to know how you are doing. And to let you know I'm here. You know, after Unkar Plutt?"

Rey's countenance dropped and she frowned. "Yes, I suppose you might be wondering about that."

"I'm not going to demand you talk or anything," Finn clarified. "I'm new to all of this. I just wanted to know if I could help. And, I guess selfishly, if I should be worried about the Dark Side, too."

Rey, who'd been looking out the window, looked sharply at Finn with an apologetic look. "Oh, Finn, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about how you might be feeling. It must be terrifying—I know it was for me early on."

"No," Finn shrugged it off. "I trust you—that you'd let me know if I was doing something wrong. You've already taught me so much of the Force."

And the mention of it made him blush as he thought back on their meditation together, and how they'd all but expressed their common attraction to each other. It had never been spoken, but they had both clearly felt it.

Rey looked away again, a flush creeping onto her own cheeks. "Well, I don't think you need to worry about the Dark Side right this second," Rey said, choosing to focus on _that_ line of questioning. "One of my first exposures to the Force was having Kylo Ren root through my head." Rey grimaced. "And then a short time later I was presented an opportunity to exact revenge. It was a pretty rough one-two punch."

Finn nodded sadly and reached out for her hand on her thigh. She turned it around to clasp his and smiled up at him gratefully. "My first time was with you," Finn commented before thinking of the double meaning and shutting his eyes in embarrassment. He chose to forge on and not acknowledge he'd said it. "Do you feel it often?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Occasionally when Master Luke pushed me extra hard. But I had my anchor to keep me rooted in Light."

Finn stopped breathing. "Me?"

Rey turned back to him with anxiousness in her eyes. "Yes," she replied softly. "I didn't realize it until recently."

"So what does that...mean, exactly?" Finn asked hesitantly. His face started to heat up again. "Do I need to...I don't know, do something? Do we need to stay connected like we have a couple times?"

Rey's face likewise flushed red, but she shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I don't think it's normal for people to connect as often as we have," she said, avoiding his eyes. "I guess because it was my first experience with the Force—even if it was terrible—that's just one of the strongest associations I have with the Force." Her eyes darted over to Finn, frightened. "It's not terrible with you, of course. I meant when Kylo Ren was in my head. With you, it's..."

She trailed off, looking for the right word. Finn couldn't find it either, but he found a pretty good one. "Wonderful," he said. Rey smiled softly at him.

"Yeah, it is." She squeezed his hand tightly. "And it makes sense you're my anchor, because it kind of just feels like I belong when I'm with you. And you're so full of Light, Finn."

Finn squeezed her hand back. "Well, I'll gladly be here for you, Rey. You can always count on me, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes moistening. "I believe you."

And maybe it was because he knew enough about her past to know that that was a big deal. Or maybe it was the implied forgiveness for his cold shoulder at the beginning of the mission. But whatever the case, Rey's trust in him made Finn's heart swell with joy and a completeness he hadn't really known before.

"And if I ever die," Finn added, making sure she understood  this. "You _never_ think you don't belong anymore. Okay, Rey? You can always know that you had me, and I hope that's enough."

The tears in Rey's eyes fell now and she leaned forward out of her chair to embrace Finn tightly. He wrapped his arms around her as she slid into his lap and squeezed her against him.

The moment was far from the sexual charge that he had felt with her in the Force the previous day. But it was every bit as intimate. Finn had never given himself up emotionally so completely. And he was certain Rey had never let herself be this vulnerable and open with another person. It was truly wonderful.

-0-0-0-

Rey walked forward carefully, lightsaber in hand. She sensed it, the remaining rathtar. It was close, but not quite close enough to burst out and surprise them. But the creature would smell its prey soon, she had no doubt. And it would be coming for them.

The rathtar would be starving. It had been six months since the three rathtars had emerged aboard the Eravana and helped her, Finn, Han and Chewie, and BB-8 escape the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub. During their escape, they had destroyed one rathtar, but the other two had completely wiped out Kanjiclub. Bala-Tik had led the surviving Guavian Death Gang members off of the freighter and decided to come back for the freighter once the rathtars had died of starvation.

Finn had updated her on the state of the Eravana, which he had learned during his foray into the criminal underworld to prepare for this mission. Bala-Tik had returned too early the first time, perhaps two months after the skirmish. They arrived to find a single rathtar, rather healthy. It had eaten the other in order to survive.

Then, the Guavian Death Gang provided it with just a little more food to survive the next four months in the form of two of its members. They'd done a little more homework, and found that rathtars could survive an exceptionally long amount of time without eating. In the wake of the Hosnian Prime's destruction, there was plenty of work to do for them. No one else knew the location of the Eravana, so they figured they could wait out claiming the valuable prize of the freighter.

But Finn and Rey knew, and if they could just rid the ship of the remaining rathtar, they would be in possession of a freighter large enough for all of Jean Dor's supply.

Rey stopped in front of the security panel, viewing the screens of the ship's interior. "If we can lure it to one of these two places," Rey whispered softly, pointing at two of the monitors," I can open the docking ports and send it into space."

"Rey," Finn responded, his voice slow and suspicious. "Did you shut the door on the rathtar that had me?"

Rey cringed embarrassedly. "Yes?" she replied.

Finn huffed with an exaggerated eye roll. "Well, thank you, I guess. Six months late."

Rey grinned at him. She couldn't believe what a change had occurred in him over the past standard day and a half. The man had seemed indifferent to her presence, uninterested in her or their friendship. Then, she had succumbed to the Dark Side after his near-death.

Rey feared that he might run from her or be afraid of what she was capable of. After all, he'd turned tail from the First Order—led by the Darkest of Force-users. He was so full of Light, Rey wouldn't have blamed him.

But instead, it had drawn him _closer_ to her. Much closer. Rey figured that the Darkness in her provided the explanation for her actions that she hadn't realized was necessary.

But of course it was necessary. Rey had left him to go find Luke when he needed her most. She had beaten herself up over it for six months, but had never told Finn that.

Every time she'd looked at his broken body, she was filled with anger and fear, and the maelstrom of the Dark Side swirled within her. After R2-D2 came out of his low-power mode to reveal the full map to Luke, Leia came to Rey.

"It's calling to you," she'd said. Rey didn't need her to clarify. But she did. "I can feel the Darkness in you, Rey."

Her eyes stung and watered. "I don't want it to. How can I make it go away?" she asked desperately.

Leia sighed. "I don't know. I didn't know when Ben was struggling, and I don't know now. But you're different," Leia said while studying her carefully. "You're not tempted by it."

Rey shook her head vehemently. "He killed his own father—a great man. I want nothing to do with the Dark Side if it can bring a man to do that."

Leia's countenance fell at the reminder, and Rey immediately felt awful for bringing it up. But before she could apologize, the General regained her composure and spoke. "You should go to Luke. Learn from him and bring him back."

"But he's _your_ brother," Rey argued, and on top of that, the comatose Finn surfaced in her thoughts.

"What does your heart say?" Leia said patiently. "Listen to the Force—let it in."

Rey had never been so certain about anything in her life. The Darkness was always threatening, and the Light was calling. She had to go, and that was that. She needed to find out who she was, what the awesome power in her was. And as surely as she knew she needed to go, she knew Finn would be fine—and that she'd see him again.

She apologized to him in his bed, and promised they'd reunite. But she had to go.

"So I guess I'm the bait?" Finn asked with a smile, bringing Rey back to the present.

"I could teach you how to open th—"

"No," Finn interrupted and he gripped her hand, and she sensed his protectiveness flowing out of him. She wanted to be offended, but she just couldn't. Finn cared for her, and this was how he showed it. It wasn't a lack of faith in her capabilities. He was just the kind of guy who would dive in front of her to take a blaster strike. Perhaps the only guy who would do that for her.

So they made a plan and Rey got into position near an unused docking station. She re-wired the door to bypass the safety locks, allowing it to open without a ship docked. She then nodded at Finn, who took a deep breath and gave her a brave smile.

"Rey," he said tentatively. "I'm going to be a little embarrassed at the fear you feel, but I think we should connect again for this, so we can anticipate each other's movements better." He looked at her a little apprehensively.

Rey considered it shortly. She knew her answer would be yes. Of course for the mission, but also because she loved to feel Finn so intimately in the Force. Kylo Ren had been abrasive and painful in her mind when they'd connected. Finn felt like he belonged there, inside her. She blushed at the thought, knowing full well she wanted it in the physical sense, as well.

Unlike Kylo Ren, Finn didn't go rooting around in her mind when they connected. He simply _was_ , and for Rey—who'd never had anyone simply _there_ for her—the feeling was incomparable. It helped that his surface thoughts that she felt were always so calming or flattering.

She nodded and reached out for him. It was easy now; it took no time to link. Then she was feeling his fear and excitement and care all at once. He grinned at her. "Okay, you ready?"

The use of words was all but unnecessary, but she nodded anyway. "Whenever you are."

One deep breath later, Finn was ready, and wandered down the hallway from the docking station in the direction where they both sensed the creature. He took his blaster and started hitting it against the walls. He turned a corner and left her sight. The clanging of his blaster became fainter and fainter. The farther he got away from her, the thinner their connection got. While she knew exactly where he was, his specific thoughts and feelings became more and more blurred.

Then one _very_ clear feeling rose above the rest. Panic.

Rey swallowed; he found the rathtar. Through the Force, she felt them both getting closer. Finn was sprinting, she could hear his footsteps now. "Get ready!" he shouted as he rounded a corner.

Rey was ready, her hand on the switch. Finn was getting closer now, but the rathtar cleared the corner and rolled recklessly after him, the tentacles growing ever nearer. He was almost in position and Rey lifted her hand to press the switch.

"Now!" he shouted, passing the docking station and grabbing onto a ridge in the wall. Securing herself a few feet down from him, Rey pressed the switch and the door opened into the cruel vacuum of space.

The rathtar, just moments from reaching Finn, was pulled violently into the hallway adjacent to them where the door just opened. For a brief moment, Rey thought they'd done it, and went to hit the switch once more.

But she—and her hand—froze when a large tentacle reached around the corner and grabbed Finn's leg. "Finn!" Rey shouted as he struggled against the force of the pressure difference _and_ the rathtar pulling at him. Rey leaned out from the wall to get a better look at how the creature had survived. Tentacles spread out in all directions, suctioning onto the ground, the walls, and the beams above them as the bulk of its body hovered just inside the freighter from the opening into space. Rey hoped she could chop the thing in half with the docking door, but it wasn't hanging far enough out. She couldn't risk removing their one way of keeping the rathtar from attacking.

But Finn was losing his grip. She could see it by the sweat on his forehead and she could feel it in his heart. "Hold on!" she shouted and moved closer to him.

Finn looked up at her, and noticing she was moving towards him, shook his head. "Stay back!" Even now, he was more concerned with her safety than his.

She didn't listen and inched her way along the wall, fighting the rushing wind and hair in her face with tight holds on the wall ridges. But she was too slow, and Finn let go. He launched through the air and around the corner in a heartbeat.

Reaching deep inside her with eyes shut, Rey stretched out her hand and called on the Force. Finn froze in mid-air, and she sensed the relief in him and opened her eyes to see him just beyond the corner, fighting the tentacle wrapping around his waist.

And she trusted their connection and projected her plan. Finn met her eyes and nodded. She threw her lightsaber towards him.

Concentrating completely on keeping Finn safe, she had to trust that he could summon the weapon. His practices had been brief, and he had never trained for this beyond moving a few items across their hotel room. But she knew he could do it. And Finn did, too.

The weapon, fighting immense vacuum forces, flew right into Finn's hand. The blue blade emerged immediately, and he lopped off the tentacle creeping up his body. Rey continued her hold on him, but moved him towards the ceiling. Another two tentacles fell uselessly toward the ground before being pushed into space by the pressure gradient. It was accompanied by an awful screech from the creature, the sound barely escaping space.

Sweat beaded on her face, but she kept her concentration. Now blind around the corner, she felt through Finn where she needed to guide him. She heard the saber wave and the rathtar cried out in pain once more. Finally, she moved Finn to the other side of the hallway. This time, when he chopped off the tentacles, the rathtar didn't have enough support to hold itself, and it launched into the abyss.

Rey swung around quickly and hit the switch, closing the door immediately.

Her concentration broke, and she heard Finn drop to the ground with a grunt. But the relief and adrenaline pumping through both of them kept him from feeling any pain. Rey scrambled around the corner to find him panting heavily against the wall, throwing the tentacle off of him.

She dropped to her knees and held his face in her hands. "Finn! I'm so sorry, that was the dumbes—"

But Finn was having none of it and silenced her with a hard kiss to her lips. Through their link in the Force, she felt absolutely no lingering frustration or fear about the mission, about her, or about the rathtar. All she felt was an unbelievable sense of home.

He was comfort. He was peace. He was belonging. He was...an unbelievable kisser.

His lips moved against hers desperately at first, likely due to the situation they just survived and the frantic beat of their hearts. But after a moment, he slowed his kiss, and Rey was able to spend time with his lips between hers. She felt his hands running along her back pulling her closer to him. He smelled like sweat and the soap from their hotel room, yet distinctly like Finn.

She felt herself gasp when his tongue ran along her bottom lip. He smiled against her and she felt Finn nearly bursting with happiness through the Force. She opened her mouth, well aware her own happiness and desire were felt by him as well. His tongue ran experimentally along the inside of her top lip, her teeth, and over her own tongue, clearly feeling through the Force for what Rey liked.

She liked all of it.

But kissing was hard when they were in this position on the floor, and still breathing heavily from their battle with the rathtar. They pulled back slowly, each smiling widely and looking alternately between each other's eyes and lips. Finn ran his hands along her arms until he held her wrists as she still held his face in her own hands.

The smile on his face was brilliant, and Rey couldn't remove her own smile if she wanted. But Finn's dropped in a moment when he glanced to the side and saw the rathtar tentacle laying right next to him. "Not the best setting, I suppose," he said with a slight frown.

Rey grinned at him while she stood, pulling him to his feet. "I know a place," she said.

"Lead the way," Finn said, grinning, excitement building in him that this was to be continued.

Having looked at the blueprints to prepare for taking back the Eravana, Rey led Finn straight to the quarters of the ship. Nervousness and excitement passed through the both of them as they entered the room with a bed. They stood and stared at each other for just a moment. It was foolish, they both knew they both wanted it.

So, together, in sync, they met once more for a tight embrace and a heated kiss. Finn pressed her up against the wall, his tongue re-entering her mouth. He grabbed her around the waist, pressing his body up against her as tightly as humanly possible.

She ran her hands over his back and down over his backside, where she squeezed him. Pleasure ran through his body and into hers and he groaned into her mouth. She felt him hardening against her and pressing his hips against her. Heat pooled low in her abdomen and a deep sense of want filled her. Finn released her mouth and trailed unfocused kisses down her cheek, her jaw, and her neck. He left her skin hot and wet, his lips moving frantically once more.

His hands also started to move with a frenzied pace, pulling at her shirt so that it would release from her pants. Rey helped him out, aching for the exact same thing as Finn. Soon his hands were under her shirt, running along her bare skin.

Skin never touched by another person. Reserved for this moment. For this man. For his hands to run up and down her back softly, sending shivers through her body. Meanwhile, his lips worked lower and lower down her chest, pushing the fabric of her shirt out of the way with his nose and mouth.

She needed to touch him, too. She tugged at his shirt, now. Finn backed up—she felt a little reservation in him, not wanting to remove his lips from her chest. But once his shirt was off, and Rey was pushing him backwards toward the bed, he had no such reservations.

Rey lost all perception of time for the next while spent in bliss and discovery. Having already experienced each other so intimately in the Force, it felt only natural for physical intimacy to follow. Finn was brilliant, so careful and loving. But he was passionate and _good_ , too. Rey never knew such pleasure could exist. And later, when Finn held her against his form, playing with her hair and planting soft kisses against her forehead, she never knew such _happiness_ could exist.

She'd felt it for days, hoped it for months. But now she'd experienced that she belonged with Finn. She was full and complete with him by her side, whether physically or in the Force. Preferably both.

"I love you, Finn," she said softly. She thought the words might bring her anxiety. But she knew his reply.

"I love you, Rey."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrestled a bit with the ending of this chapter. I wasn't sure how...detailed I wanted their intimacy to get. I had debates with myself over the value of being explicit and revealing characterizations that way versus keeping in line with the current rating of the story not to distract from the characterization to this point. Ultimately, my (in)ability to write smut decided that I would leave the details to the reader. Maybe one day I'll be more capable and add a spinoff oneshot to this story. Until then, hope you enjoyed despite (or perhaps due to) keeping it 'T'.


	7. Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the end of Destiny! It's been so fun to write. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter VII: Destiny 

Rey peered through the binoculars—one of the many items of their mutil-million credit purchase from Jean Dor—down into the Valley of Candun where Finn stood in front of a First Order officer and a pair of Stormtroopers. She held her breath as Finn waved his hand in front of the officer holding a datapad. 

They'd worked on the Force ability of persuasion for most of the trip back to Marloth after retaking the _Eravana_. Rey would rather have spent that time doing some recently discovered physical activities with Finn, but they both knew there were more pressing matters. It took some restraint on their part, but she'd managed to train Finn to tap into the compulsion power that the Light provided to oppose the Dark. 

And in her binoculars, from miles away, Rey saw the officer swipe his hand over the datapad. He was adjusting the inventory inspection to the crates that Finn wanted him to check. Soon, a pair of droids filed through the hundreds of crates lying in the valley, periodically verifying the contents of the cargo to determine that Finn had provided the promised weapons. 

Of course, most of the crates were empty. Finn and Rey had been busy for the past three days, and _not_ the kind of busy she craved. But she was happy to be working, and everything had been going according to plan. 

When they arrived back on Marloth, they'd immediately met with Anderand with proof of the First Order's arrangement. Anderand had then gone to each of the gangs—each of which believed him to be in their employ—and brought the First Order's agreement to them. They happily transferred funds into Finn's account, so he could facilitate the deal, knowing the payday was coming. 

Finn and Rey then flew the _Eravana_ cargo ship to Jean Dor's outpost where they bought nearly his entire stock with Guana the Hutt's money. Finn's account still had all of Ura-Vun Di's offering. Loading the cargo took nearly a full day on the fast-spinning planet. Then they flew the ship to Candun Valley in the southern hemisphere of Marloth. There, they unloaded mostly empty crates that the _Eravana_ previously contained from Han Solo's delivery days. They added a few of Jean Dor's cargo to the mostly-empty pile of crates so the First Order would believe the inventory was complete—and for future use. 

The valley was chosen strategically by Anderand. The mountain ranges on either side would provide excellent protection for the two gangs to stake out the deal without coming into contact with one another. He had told Guana the Hutt to send her men into the western mountain range, while Ura-Vun Di settled in the east. 

Meanwhile, the First Order landed under the assumption that the area was deserted, and only Finn, Anderand, and Myla Rune would be present for the deal. 

And Rey would be watching from afar, waiting for her time to act. Her nerves were buzzing, but the Force settled her. This all felt so right, and she trusted Finn completely to do his part. And already he was, with the inventory droids confirming each crate's contents that they were told to check indirectly by Finn. 

Rey felt her heart flutter as she followed him in her binoculars. Never, in all of her dreams and wishes, did she think she could feel the way she felt about Finn. She'd never needed anyone. She'd been _fine_. 

In the early days on Jakku, scavenging was easy. Most of the big ticket items hadn't been excavated from fallen ships and battlefields yet. This was vital, because Rey had been far too young to get to the more adventurous parts of a fallen Star Destroyer. 

But she remembered scavenging in the dark—whether because it was night time or because the massive fallen ships didn't let in sunlight. And she'd found parts and weapons just _fine._

And one day, she found a flash light. 

To a nine year-old Rey, it was life-changing. Life saving, even. Because the scavenging got harder with each passing year, and not only would she need to get to the harder-to-reach places to earn her food, but she would need a light to see there, too. 

Finn was her flash light. She'd been _fine_ without him. But life was getting harder. The Darkness was at times too much to overcome. She needed her Light. And did he ever shine. 

She never knew someone could be so selfless. On Jakku, when they'd nearly been struck by Tie Fighter fire, she crawled over to him to shake him awake. He asked _her_ if she was alright. He went to his all-but-certain death on Starkiller Base to save _her_. He'd forgiven _her_ for leaving him to heal alone. He loved _her._

Rey didn't know why. She knew why she loved him. She just hoped she'd have a lifetime to become the person that Finn already loved. 

Anderand and Myla Rune arrived on the scene a short time later in Unkar Plutt's cargo ship. Finn and Rey had taken it from outside Jean Dor's outpost to give to Anderand and Myla for the getaway. 

The droids completed their inventory account and began loading the stock. Content with the sample inspection, Captain Ponzaa of the First Order freighter _Acribis_ transferred complete payment to Anderand's account. Rey knew Anderand would be passing thirty percent on to each gang. Now, each gang would believe their deal had succeeded. After all, they had received the initial payment. Anderand's own cut in the heist was the remaining forty percent—dozens of millions of credits to settle down in a corner of the galaxy in utter luxury. 

Rey lifted her binoculars to the western mountains across the valley, scanning its face. She knew Guana's lackeys were out there, somewhere along the mountain ranges. Carefully watching both the deal and the surroundings. And the Red Nikto gang shared her own mountain side, somewhere along the miles of peaks and dips. 

Anderand had warned each of them of plans from the other gang to stop the deal. If a deal this big went south, it might cripple the gang. The rumor, he told both Guana and Ura-Vun Di, was that Kanjiclub had resurfaced to help take down their respective gangs. So they had to be ready for a fight to protect the shipment. 

And Rey's job was to instigate it. 

The day passed quickly, and as planned, the loading of the cargo took the First Order right into dusk. Rey watched from her hiding spot as Finn, Anderand, and Myla boarded the First Order vessel with Captain Ponzaa. The final act of diversion. 

Rey backed away from the cliff edge she was scouting from and jogged down the back side of the mountain until she reached a large fighter. It was the ship that Kanjiclub had boarded the _Eravana_ in. When Finn and Rey reclaimed the freighter, they got a bonus ship to go with it. 

Rey fired up the engines and took a deep breath. She was much too far away from Finn to feel him deeply in the Force. But she knew he was out there; she sensed his presence. It calmed her, and focused her. She lifted the fighter off the ground and flew over the mountain top. 

The First Order freighter just started to take off as she flew closer. Her heart started racing as her thumbs settled over the canon triggers, and she fired. 

The next several minutes all happened in a blur for Rey. She let her instincts take over. Eight fighters on either side of the valley appeared, each barely visible in the dark blue sky. In addition, the defensive weapons of the freighter started to fire back at Rey. 

The fighters all arrived at the same time. Rey was the initial target for all of them, but they soon realized half of the fighters in the battle were the enemy, and a few dogfights began to circle the freighter, desperately trying to climb in the atmosphere to reach a safe place for hyperspace. 

Rey wove in and out of the firing turret fire, laying down torpedoes and pelting the freighter with her own laser canons. The damage wasn't complete, but sufficient enough that her next action would be believable. She managed to open up a hole in the side of the freighter. The _Acribis_ was built to sustain such damage by closing off compartments, but that wouldn't hold under focused attack. 

Rey let her wing get clipped by laser fire. The damage was not significant, but if either gang was watching, they might believe it was enough to make her lose control. So with a smoking wing, Rey wobbled her fighter, angled it to the opening in the freighter, and ejected at the last possible moment. She watched as if in slow motion as the ship flew through the opening she had created and exploded inside of the First Order freighter. 

Her connection to Finn was still faint, but it was present enough to send him a simple message. As she fell rapidly through the air, Rey managed to calm herself enough to tell Finn _now_ , or some feeling equating to the word. 

Rey activated her parachute before the ground approached too quickly. Through the translucent chute, Rey could see the dogfights above, laser light filling the sky. But it was all drowned out as a massive explosion lit up the whole valley. 

The _Acribis_ erupted in brilliant red and yellow flames. Rey felt a heat wave on her face as the ship tore itself apart from the inside and gradually drift back to the ground below it. The ship continued in the direction opposite Rey, with a few remaining fighters chasing after it. 

Rey tore her eyes away from the burning ship and scanned the sky above her for three figures. In her heart, she knew Finn had made it out. She could feel him. And though she couldn't see him, his presence in her heart sparked a realization. She never wanted to experience his absence again. 

-0-0-0- 

Finn boarded the First Order freighter behind Captain Ponzaa. Anderand and Myla Rune followed just a few steps behind him. Everything had gone as planned to this point. He'd used the Jedi mind trick to great effect. He was sure she already knew, but Finn couldn't wait to tell Rey. It was exhilarating, feeling the Force flow through him, hesitating to measure his intentions. Then to watch the officer completely fall under the influence of the Force was terrifying. Finn was grateful it was only an ability of the Light Side. 

Though, that just meant the Dark users would use much less passive means of coercion. 

In any case, the First Order now believed they had a full stock of weaponry on board their freighter. Ponzaa walked at a brisk pace, speaking over her shoulder. "You can just come to my office with me while we return to the First Order outpost where full inventory will be done." 

"If you don't mind," Finn replied easily. "We'd prefer to stay with the cargo. Our reputations and lives are resting on its safe passage, after all." 

Ponzaa stopped in the corridor and turned around to face Finn. She studied him briefly. "Of course," she said. Then she called down the hallway to a couple of 'troopers. "You two will escort these three to the cargo bay. Stay with them the entire trip and alert me to any problems you or they see." 

After a pair of "Yes, Captain" responses, Finn found himself being led down yet another hallway. The freighter engines roared, and the ship lifted off the ground. 

Rey would be launching her attack any minute. Time was running low. 

Finn hurried forward and grabbed the Stormtrooper around the neck and pulled him violently to his back, quickly reaching for the gun of the 'trooper to his left and ripping it from his grasp. Two shots later, the white armor of the soldiers were charred right in the center of their torsos. 

"We have to hurry," Finn said over his shoulder before taking off at a sprint. 

They entered the cargo hold just as the ship shuddered under the attack of laser cannons. Rey had initiated the fight. 

There were multiple droids and troopers in the open bay. Fortunately, they were distracted enough by Rey's attack not to immediately notice Finn enter, gun raised for attack. 

This was the first time Finn actively used the Force in battle, and he couldn't believe how clear and sharp his mind was. He'd always been the best in his class—something he now realized he could attribute to his muted Force sensitivity—but now that he let the Force guide his actions, he knew each combatants' movements before they did. 

He took out three Stormtroopers before anyone knew he had arrived. Their blasters were much more dangerous than the pistols the officers carried. To his left, Finn sensed movement and swung his blaster around to find a pair of officers reaching for their blasters and an intercom transponder. With just two more shots, the officers dropped. 

Finn hurried forward, eyes open and the Force expanding around him. "Go to the crates we planned for and activate the proton bombs," Finn said, turning briefly to look Anderand and Myla Rune in the eyes. They appeared impressed with—and a little wary of—his ability with the blaster. Finn thought that was a good thing. It might dissuade them from trying to stab him in the back. 

"I'll clear the rest of the bay and open the loading bay doors," Finn said. "Grab the jetpacks. We only have a few more minutes." 

They nodded at him and turned to the rows and rows of crates. Finn knew there was a chance there were enemies within the recently-loaded stock, but they were short on time, and it wasn't likely. Instead, Finn headed toward the operations room to the side of the bay. 

Before he got there, the door burst open and four 'troopers filed out, blasters raised and firing. Finn was able to take the first one out before jumping to the side to avoid more fire. He was out in the open without much protection. 

He reached down to his belt and under his jacket and pulled out Rey's lightsaber. "Just in case," Rey had told him when she handed him the weapon. She had known he would need it. 

Blaster in his right hand and lightsaber in his left, Finn marched on the Stormtroopers, who were doing their best to fire at him from the relative safety of the doorway. Letting the Force run through him and heighten his reflexes, Finn swung the blade to deflect oncoming laser blasts while firing back with his own blaster. He dropped two more of his enemies before he reached the office door, and the third backed away from the doorway. Finn closed his eyes and felt out for the 'trooper. He took a couple of steps down the wall and thrust the saber through the wall. On the other side, the final Stormtrooper fell to the ground when Finn pulled back the weapon. 

Finn ran inside the operations room and took stock of his surroundings. There were a pair of workers cowering against the wall. They were unarmed, so Finn didn't attack them, even though he knew they wouldn't survive the day. Instead, he ran over to the panel and scanned the monitor. 

He punched a few buttons and pulled a lever. The bay shook as the docking port opened wide. 

"Shit, Den," came Myla Rune's voice from the operations room entrance. He turned to see her looking at the four fallen 'troopers. She already had her jetpack on. "Who knew your negotiation skills weren't your greatest strength?" 

Finn couldn't help the slight smile on his face, but he knew it wasn't his own doing. The Force was with him. 

And as if to hammer home the point, Finn felt Rey in his heart. She felt certain. Ready. 

"It's time," Finn said and ran towards Myla Rune. Just outside of the operations room, Anderand pulled on his jetpack. Finn grabbed the one resting at their feet. 

"You synced the bombs to the detonator?" Finn prompted, sliding his arms into the pack. 

"They're ready to go," Anderand confirmed. "I don't want to be anywhere near this place when you hit the button." 

Funn pulled out the detonator and nodded. "Then let's go." 

The three unlikely allies ran to the docking port, the door wide open to the rushing of the wind and night sky. Finn quickly tested the jetpack, pressing the thrusters and lifting into the air. He looked over at Anderand and Myla Rune, each with looks of nervousness. "You'd better be close behind me," Finn said. "I'm not waiting long to blow this ship up." 

And with that, he leapt into the night sky. 

Cool air rushed over his face, through his hair. He let the air resistance turn him over so he looked up at the freighter high above them. Seeing Anderand and Myla Rune just above him, Finn clutched the detonator in his hands and triggered the bombs. 

The impact was immediate, the ship nearly splitting in two as the bombs went off, pillars of flame erupting from the newly-opened cracks in the ship. The fire spread rapidly through the ship, hitting fuel tanks and other weapons on board. 

Finn watched in amazement as the ship of his enemy tore apart and descended from the sky. He shook himself of the scene so he could focus on his own descent. He angled his body into standing position and hit the thrusters, his momentum slowing instantly. 

It didn't take long for him to reach the ground, decreasing his speed with each passing second. He touched down softly and looked into the sky. The burning freighter was far enough away now that its light didn't aid his search. But all three of Marloth's moons were out and provided enough light for him to see Anderand and Myla Rune slowly approaching. They obviously didn't have the confidence in their jetpacks that Finn had. 

But Finn's eyes continued to search the skies. It wasn't until he closed his eyes that he found her. 

He would know that presence anywhere. Strong, confident, powerful. But kind, gracious, and humble. She was like a fire of her own in the sky, the Force burned in her so bright. Finn felt his breath catch with just the feeling of her. He didn't know he could feel so strongly for someone. 

She had started her fall a little ways off from Finn, so he launched right back into the sky and angled his thrusters to go meet her in the sky. 

Finn approached and her Force signature grew and grew. Even in the moonlight, her smile was brilliant. 

"We did it," Finn said once he had gotten close enough. 

Finn kept having to adjust his thrusters to keep pace with her slow descent. "Yeah," Rey said, reaching out and around his neck. "We did." 

Finn understood what she was doing, and reached between them to unclasp her chute. She wrapped her legs around him as the harness came off and the parachute took off in the wind. Finn smiled broadly at Rey before leaning in for a kiss, high in the sky. 

The feeling of elation was only heightened by the literal elevation. With no feet on the ground, all Finn had to brace himself with was Rey. Her lips were soft against his even as her body clung to him desperately. The Force surrounded them once more, and Finn wasn't sure they needed a jetpack to remain airborne. 

But they needed to come back to land eventually, so they pulled apart, and Finn guided them back to the surface. His eyes hardly strayed from her beautiful face until out of necessity to see the ground. 

Landing, Rey let go of Finn, but they quickly clasped their hands again. Anderand and Myla were waiting for them, smirks on their faces. 

"So was this another lie you told us?" Myla asked, pointing between the two. 

Finn felt a blush creep up his face, but Rey answered easily. "At the time, it was true." 

"Ah," Anderand nodded. "So it's official now?" 

Finn and Rey met each other's eyes and smiled. Finn laughed lightly. "I guess it is, yeah." 

Myla walked up. "I can't tell what you're happier about stealing. The millions of credits or the girl's heart." 

"I can," Finn said, once again looking back at Rey. She rolled her eyes, but he felt the happiness at his words fill her. "Come on, let's head back to the ships." 

The four took off on their jet packs back through the valley to where the _Kismet_ and Unkar Plutt's cargo ship were. After a few minutes of flying, they landed at the ships. "It's just a shame we couldn't somehow save the weapons and double our profits with another buyer." 

Finn carefully didn't react. Anderand didn't need to know that the majority of the weapons were a few clicks west in the _Eravana_. It would just complicate the deal. He would want a bigger portion of their earnings. And there was no need to give any of it up. 

"Millions of credits not good enough for you?" Finn asked instead, smiling at him. 

Anderand grinned back. "What can I say? I'm a greedy guy." 

Myla chimed in. "In any case, this was a very profitable day. Both gangs think we're dead and that the other gang just screwed them over with the help of Kanjiklub. The First Order thinks that the gangs just destroyed their freighter and their newly-acquired weapons after taking the whole payment. They'll be so desperate to stay alive, they won't have the time or resources to investigate our role in all of this." 

Finn smiled. For a brief moment during all of the planning, he had thought Anderand and Myla would be good additions to the Resistance. But these two Twi'Lek were so self-absorbed that they had just betrayed their entire gang for some credits. Sure, it was millions of credits, but still; they were not Resistance material. 

"It's been a pleasure, Myla and Anderand," Finn said, extending his hand. 

"It's certainly been something," Myla said, ignoring his hand and pulling him into a hug. Rey coughed when the hug lingered, and Myla pulled back with a smug look and a wink. "I'm kidding, Kaira. Just wanted to make sure you didn't miss us too much." 

Then she went to hug Rey. "I can honestly say I'm sad we'll probably never see you again," Rey said. 

Finn shook Anderand's hand. "It's probably for the best," Anderand said. "Trust would never be easy to gain after our start. I'm still not convinced you two didn't come out this deal even better off than you're letting on." 

Finn smiled at Rey and interlocked his fingers with hers. "I sure did," he said. Finn knew it was sappy. He didn't care. It was true. Well, that and the massive weapons stock back in the _Eravana_. 

The group said their final goodbyes. Finn and Rey watched the Twi'Lek couple board their ship and take off to a comfortable and happy future. Finn was slightly jealous of it. 

He looked down at Rey's hand in his as they walked to the ramp of the _Kismet_. Dawn was rapidly approaching, and he knew they needed to take off soon to stay as hidden as possible. They had to get back to the _Eravana_ and escape while it was still night. But he took a moment to imagine a future where Rey and Finn simply dropped off the weapons to the Resistance and ran away together. 

They could be happy. Finn knew it. He could imagine starting a family with her. Finding a nice planet to start a real life on. Neither of them had experienced a real life. They deserved it. 

But he shook his head and smiled at her. She smiled back, a little confused at his pause outside the ship. He reached out and felt her in the Force. She quickly responded, and Finn's heart filled with her, joyful and loving. If they ran away together, they'd have to give up using the Force. It would always be pulling them back to _the fight_. It was their destiny. 

And Finn used to hate the Force for that. For taking Rey from him for six months. 

But it was the Force, it was destiny, and most importantly it was his acceptance of that destiny that had led him to her in the first place. Finn had chosen to follow his heart and leave the First Order. And he had run right into her. 

Rey had chosen her destiny, too. And while it separated them for a time, it led them to the here and now, too. And Finn wouldn't trade this 'here and now' for anything. Not one thing. 

"I couldn't have done this with you, Rey," Finn said to her softly. 

"I'm not sure I can do much of anything without you, Finn," Rey replied. And Finn knew it wasn't true. This girl could do anything, with or without him. 

But maybe there was some truth to it. Maybe they were bound together in their destinies. And maybe, Finn thought, any destiny with her would be one he wanted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this chapter, not gonna lie. When I tried to flesh out the deals and heist more, it dragged. So I REALLY hope this alternative to jumping right into the end of it and peppering in the details worked well. I ended up really happy with how it ended, though. This may be the favorite story I've written (including the ones not posted here), so it feels good to wrap it up in a way I'm happy with. Hope you are too!
> 
> Thanks for all the kind words of support and letting me know what was working. It's been so helpful and uplifting!


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